


Event Horizon

by Yrien



Series: Speed of Light [1]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-26
Updated: 2013-02-28
Packaged: 2017-11-22 18:38:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 85,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/612958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yrien/pseuds/Yrien
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rian is a smuggler and a ship captain, flying cargo to war zones and picking up odd jobs along the way.  Her life isn't always easy, but it's hers to do with as she pleases, until fate intervenes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first story on here (though it is a cross-post from FF.net with some minor changes).
> 
> This story will (very, very loosely) follow parts of the Smuggler and Trooper arcs from Star Wars: The Old Republic.

With her hands wrapped around the control yoke of the _Event Horizon_ , Rian felt like the ship was an extension of her own body. She could feel the vibration of the engines through her fingers as she banked sharply and let her momentum swing the ship's nose around. Dust whirled up around her, blocking the view through the windows in front of her but she didn't need to see the landing pad to know where it was. She settled the ship down with barely a bump and rubbed a hand fondly across the console. She skimmed her eyes over the displays and then powered the ship down slowly.

She stood from the captain's chair and stretched until her back cracked. It had been a tricky landing, with the Republic forces and the Ord Mantell Separatists trying to pound each other into the planet's volcanic surface, but a bit of fancy flying had helped her avoid all the trouble spots. She rolled her shoulders to loosen them and sauntered off the bridge.

A short hallway and handful of steps led down to the main corridor, which circled the entire ship. An open area to her left was a comfortable common space, filled with couches and tables and a relatively new holoviewer. Her quarters as well as the crew ones were to her right, but she veered left through the common room to poke her head into the hold to check on her cargo. The crates that she'd been contracted to deliver were still neatly stacked along the far wall beside the loading hatch. The rest of the cargo hold was empty, but she hoped to remedy that here. Not that Ord Mantell had many interesting exports - mostly grain, farm animals, and young, bright-eyed kids eager to see the galaxy. Still, flying with an empty hold was a waste of credits, and there were places where everything was in demand.

She sauntered down the hall to the main exit. Her C2 unit clanked down the hall towards her, whirring frantically, but she ignored it. She had won the droid in a sabacc game two spaceports back and had finally disabled its voice unit that morning. She was sure it meant well, but _stars_ did that thing like to talk! She tapped the controls for the hatch, waiting for it to cycle open. The ramp folded out from the bottom of the ship with a mechanical hum, hitting the duracrete pad with a thud.

The sun on the landing pad was bright and hot, and she shaded her eyes with one hand as she peered across it. She was already warm and unzipped her blue and grey armoured jacket, though she left it on. She had a sleeveless white shirt on underneath and was wearing a pair of snug-fitting but sturdy tan pants with plasteel armour panels cleverly concealed by decorative stitching and strategically-placed pockets.

The flexible armour would turn a knife - even a vibroblade, if it was a small one - and was moderately effective against blaster fire, while still giving her the freedom to move. She didn't need it most of the time - she could talk or flirt her way out of most combat situations - but luck needed to be supplanted by preparation. You never knew when some idiot would get it into his head to take a shot at you. She tightened one of the buckles on her knee-high brown boots, checked that her canteen was clipped to the back of her belt, and stepped out of the _Event Horizon_ 's shadow. She noticed the appreciative glances cast her way by a few of the spaceport workers and preened under the attention, putting a bit of a swing in her stride as she headed for the exit.

Rian knew that men found her attractive. Humans in particular seemed to enjoy Twi'leks, and she never hesitated to put that fascination to good use. Her lifestyle kept her in good shape, and the sweeping tattoos on her blue _lekku _and her brilliant green eyes only added to the package. She wasn't overly tall, but she'd never been called petite either. She had curves in all the right places and knew how to use them well. She had scars - no one in her line of work could really avoid them - but they only added to her mystique.__

__She checked that her blaster pistol was secure in its thigh holster - Ord Mantell was a war zone after all - and strode out of the hangar._ _

__*****_ _

__Her contact was outside of Drelliad village, a small community that was a focal point in the planet's civil war. According to her latest information, it was currently held by the Separatists, though the Republic was trying to retake it. The small spaceport that she had landed at was a short distance beyond the village. It was currently under the control of the planet's militia, who were working with the Republic, but the Sep- controlled village was between them and Fort Garnik, the Republic's primary base of operations. The militia wouldn't be able to hold the spaceport much longer if the Republic couldn't retake Drelliad, but the Seps weren't giving up without a fight. Gaining control of the spaceport would be a huge coup for them._ _

__There was a distinct line between the spaceport and the road leading into the village. Duracrete barriers were stacked chest-high and three deep around the entrance and Rian had to present herself to the highest-ranking militia member before she was allowed to leave. The harried-looking man barely glanced at her and she figured they didn't much care who was leaving the spaceport. They were mostly concerned with keeping the Seps out. She passed the last of the barriers and strode down the roadway towards Drelliad._ _

__The road forked about halfway there, with one side leading towards the small, war-torn village. It was as defended as the spaceport, though the barriers were more makeshift than the uniform duracrete ones the militia was using. There was an untidy cluster of discarded crates, large boulders, and piles of rubble heaped in front of the entrance to the village. She could see blaster barrels peeking through gaps in the wall but it was pretty obvious that she was neither Republic military, nor a member of the militia and no one took a shot at her._ _

__She took the right fork, where the road turned into more of a foot path as it led into the hills. Drelliad was built in a broad, flat valley and as soon as you were outside of it the land folded into a series of jagged hills and canyons. Ord Mantell was mostly coloured in shades of dark grey stone and mud-brown dust with a few hardy plants clinging tenaciously to the rocks, though the sky overhead was a piercing blue. She shaded her eyes with her hand when she paused to take a gulp of water from her canteen. Stars, this planet was hot. Nearly as bad as Tatooine._ _

__The dusty roadway snaked away from the village and disappeared into a canyon. It was wide enough for an airspeeder, but it looked like it got mostly foot traffic. It was man-made rather than machine-cleared, and large rocks had been simply rolled to the sides to make way for people to pass. Silence descended on her as the canyon walls closed in. She could hear insects whirring and buzzing in the hot sun, and her footsteps crunching in the thin sandy soil that overlaid the volcanic rock that made up most of the planet's surface._ _

__She felt the back of her neck prickle and she didn't even pause for a moment before diving into cover behind the nearest boulder. Her instincts were as good as ever, and blaster fire streaked through the air where she had been standing. She swore inventively as she unholstered the pistol strapped to her thigh. Nothing was ever easy._ _

__She leaned carefully around the edge of the boulder, firing off a half-dozen quick shots towards the rocky outcropping on the low cliff that bordered the path. A shout of pain and a burst of return fire told her she had found the ambushers. She figured there were three of them, judging from the shots she'd seen so far, though it seemed she may have at least temporarily disabled one of them._ _

__Fragments of hot rock spattered against her as the ambushers fired again. "Give up, Republic scum!" a voice shouted. "Hand over your weapons and we'll permit you to leave unharmed!"_ _

__She snorted and shook her head. He sounded like a kid with more ideals than brains. She hated getting involved in local politics. "Do I look Republic to you?" she hollered back, diving for a different boulder, firing as she moved. There was another muffled grunt of pain and she pressed her back up tight against the new rock as they returned fire. One set of shots went well wide._ _

__"You're going to pay for that!" the kid shouted back, his voice shaky with pain and Rian chuckled quietly to herself. She wondered if he was even old enough to shave yet._ _

__She slithered around into a crouch facing the boulder, careful not to give them anything to shoot at. She rested her weight lightly on the balls of her feet and braced one hand against the rock, listening hard. She could hear a muttered conversation and then the sound of someone trying to move quietly. It seemed they were trying to get a better angle on her. She leaned around the edge of the boulder and squeezed off a pair of shots that sent someone scrambling for cover and then she felt a sharp line of fire burn its way across her upper arm._ _

__She flung herself back into cover, swearing. The bolt had skimmed between the plasteel plates in her jacket and burned through a patch of skin the length of her palm along her right biceps. She quickly transferred her blaster to her left hand as her right one started to shake. She could hear the kid crowing triumphantly that he'd gotten her, and she shifted her weight, getting ready to fire again if they tried to rush her._ _

__A scuff of boots on the cliff above her sent her heart rate rocketing skywards. If they were behind her too, she was dead._ _

__Even as she whipped around to bring her blaster to bear on this new threat, she could hear the deep pulse of an assault cannon discharge. She flinched despite herself, even though she knew that at this range the chance of survival was basically nonexistent and there was nothing she could do that would change the outcome._ _

__Across the path behind her, the rocks that had concealed her ambushers exploded. The screams were almost inaudible under the roar of the explosion and Rian blinked, surprised to find that she was still alive._ _

__Peering down at her from the top of the low cliff was a tall and muscular Human man wearing Republic soldier's armour with sergeant's slashes on the shoulders and a Special Forces badge on his chest. Wisps of smoke curled from the barrel of his massive assault cannon, which he handled as easily as if it weighed little more than Rian's blaster pistol. He slung it over his shoulder and she heard it click into place in its maglock clips on his backplate, then he vaulted down to land solidly on the dusty path near her. "You looked like you could use an assist, Ma'am. I'm Sergeant Viggota Din-amarth." He thrust a hand towards her._ _

__She accepted his hand with a bemused smile, watching hers practically disappear into his much larger one. He hauled her easily to her feet and shook her hand firmly. Her scorched biceps screamed in protest at the sudden movement and she gritted her teeth so she wouldn't make a sound. He had a long scar running from his forehead across his nose to his left cheek and his face and shaved head were tanned from Ord Mantell's relentless sun. She wasn't good at estimating alien ages, but she thought he was probably around her age, maybe a bit younger. "Thanks," she said, brushing dust and rock chips off her jacket, ignoring the twinge of pain that shot up her arm with some effort. She kept her blaster down but didn't holster it yet. While he seemed nice enough and it was a good sign that he had saved her from the Separatists, she knew that the Republic army wasn't entirely free from corruption no matter what the propaganda said._ _

__He flicked his eyes over her and she realized he had dismissed her as a civilian. "You should be careful out here, Ma'am," he said. "These Separatists don't seem to care who they're shooting at."_ _

__"Captain," she corrected him sharply and was gratified to see a flash of confusion in his eyes. "Captain Tsel'rianeen of the freighter _Event Horizon_."_ _

__"My apologies, Captain," he said with a respectful nod and she eased up on him a bit. He couldn't have known. "Could I escort you to a medic?" He indicated the blackened edges of the hole in her sleeve. "There's one in the refugee village by the Fort."_ _

__Rian started to shrug. It was just going to be another scar, and she needed to meet with her contact. But even that movement was painful and she knew she wasn't at her best. Walking around a war zone without being able to defend herself properly was just asking for trouble. And the soldier really did seem to want to help, and she definitely didn't want to lead him to her contact if he decided to keep following her around and pestering her about the injury. "Sure, thanks." She holstered her blaster and brushed her hands off on her pants. She would have liked to have looked over the bodies to see if they had anything she could use, but the Republic army probably frowned on looting._ _

__Fort Garnik stood on a ridge half a click from Drelliad. It was heavily guarded, despite - or perhaps because of - the refugee camp that had grown up around the base of its walls. Viggota seemed quite familiar with the area and led her unerringly to a makeshift structure that seemed to be made out of disassembled shipping crates. A Republic medical symbol was painted crudely beside the open doorway._ _

__Viggota ducked inside first and Rian followed him more slowly, not sure what to expect. The cramped space was partitioned off with curtains and makeshift walls to give patients the illusion of privacy. A pair of locals sat on upturned crates beside the door while a young woman crouched in front of them, winding a bandage around one man's wrist. A bored-looking trooper lounged against a wall, one hand resting lazily on his blaster pistol. He gave them a once-over when they walked in and nodded respectfully at Viggota._ _

__Viggota returned the nod and looked around expectantly. "Doctor?" he called._ _

__A woman's voice answered him from behind one of the partitions. "One moment!"_ _

__True to her word, it was only a moment before she emerged, ushering a man and a young child before her. "He'll be fine, Sagra," she told the worried-looking man. "Just make sure he gets enough sleep, but the medication will take care of the infection." The man nodded and thanked the doctor profusely before leaving and Rian took the opportunity to study the woman more closely._ _

__She was small, just over five feet tall, with tanned skin and dark brown hair pulled back into a practical queue. Her left eye was blue, but the right one was hidden by some mechanical sensor. A cyborg, then. She didn't seem to have any other visible enhancements, but her plain blue tunic and trousers would conceal a lot._ _

__She looked up at them and smiled, offering her hand. "Doctor Jace. How can I help you?"_ _

__Viggota shook her hand and gestured to Rian. "Captain Tsel'rianeen was shot by Separatists and needs to be checked out."_ _

__"Of course. Come with me, Captain." The doctor ducked behind one of the partitions and gestured for Rian to have a seat on the exam table. It looked like it had seen better days and Rian shucked her jacket awkwardly before seating herself gingerly. It creaked underneath her but held._ _

__The doctor briskly snapped on a pair of gloves and leaned in to get a look at the wound. "It doesn't look too bad," she told Rian. "I'll clean and bandage it, and give you something for the pain if you think you really need it."_ _

__Rian kept the surprised look off her face with some effort. Normally, blaster burns could be healed completely and instantly with dermal regeneration. Bandaging one and waiting for it to heal naturally was... primitive. It was a real measure of how hard things were on Ord Mantell. She kept quiet while the doctor cleaned the burn as gently as she could, biting her lip against the pain._ _

__She hissed as the doctor rubbed a little too hard at the burn. "Sorry," she said, taping a patch of gauze over the wound. "Try to keep it clean and dry as much as possible. Come back and see me if it gets worse or you think it's getting infected." The doctor had a small packet in her hand but Rian shook her head._ _

__"I don't think I'll need those," she said, and the woman looked relieved. If supplies were really that short, she wasn't going to take anything away from them. Rian flexed her arm gingerly, feeling the tape pull against her skin and carefully pulled her jacket back on. "Thanks, Doc. I appreciate the help." She hesitated, feeling awkward. She wasn't sure how this sort of thing worked here. "Uh, what do I owe you?"_ _

__Jace smiled tolerantly. "We're supplied by the Republic. No charge for our services."_ _

__Rian shrugged, aborting the movement quickly when it pulled on the burn. "Fine by me. Thanks again."_ _

__The doctor nodded and stepped back to let Rian stand. "Just do me a favour and try not to get shot again," she said and led her back into the main part of the clinic._ _

__Rian was surprised to see that Viggota had waited, lounging against the wall next to the other trooper. They had been having a low-voiced conversation that Viggota broke off when Rian came into view. "All right, Captain?" he asked and she nodded. "Good. Come on, then." He ducked back out of the clinic without waiting to see if she was following. She almost didn't, but was curious to know why he had waited and so she trailed along behind him as he climbed the dusty path towards the Fort. The guards at the gates waved them through as soon as they got a good look at Viggota, and Rian was surprised but pleased that no one asked to see her identification._ _

__Fort Garnik was an impersonal jumble of pre-fabricated grey durasteel buildings. Reinforced roadways tracked between the buildings, with duracrete walkways on either side for foot traffic. They had to detour around stacks of crates and the occasional dismantled vehicle, as well as small clumps of off-duty soldiers who congregated in patches of shade. Rian waited until they were out of earshot of the nearest group before lengthening her stride to walk alongside Viggota. "So, where are we going?"_ _

__"Republic Command," he replied. "I need to report the ambush."_ _

__Rian felt her pulse jump. Just being in the Fort was tempting fate. Walking into the Republic command building would be utter foolishness. She knew that she had at least one outstanding arrest warrant and had no desire to be stuck in a Republic jail cell for the foreseeable future. "Oh," she said, keeping her voice steady with some effort. "You don't need me for that, then. I'll head off. Thanks again."_ _

__Viggota stopped walking and turned to face her. She kept her expression pleasant but otherwise blank. "But you have to come," he said, looking somewhat confused. "You were involved too. You're a witness."_ _

__Rian thought furiously, trying to come up with something to say that sounded reasonable and would keep her as far away from the Command Centre as possible but the decision was taken away when another Republic soldier approached and Viggota snapped to attention._ _

__"At ease, Sergeant," the new solider said in a gravelly voice, returning Viggota's salute. He was Cathar, with short rust-red fur, his mane shaved down to nothing. He was wearing lieutenant's stripes on his uniform. "You're wanted in the Command Centre."_ _

__Viggota nodded and gestured to Rian. "I was just on my way, sir. I need to report an ambush."_ _

__The Cathar's yellow-green eyes flicked over her and she stepped forward hastily before Viggota had a chance to introduce her. She shouldn't have told him her full name. It was only a matter of time before someone ran it and found the warrant. "Rian," she said, offering her hand to shake. "I was attacked by Separatists outside of Drelliad. Your sergeant was kind enough to assist me."_ _

__"Lieutenant Jorgan." The Cathar's grip was firm, and the leathery pads on his palm were warm and dry and the short fur on the back of his hand was surprisingly soft. "If you'd like to give a statement about the attack, we'd appreciate your input."_ _

__She shook her head regretfully. "Unfortunately, I can't stay. I didn't come to Ord Mantell on vacation. I have business I need to attend to. I hope you understand."_ _

__Jorgan's eyes narrowed at her and Viggota arched an eyebrow curiously. "I'm afraid I must insist, Captain," the Cathar said, making a small gesture with one hand. Rian winced, realizing he already knew who she was, and was in motion before the two troopers that had drifted casually behind her were able to react. She heard Viggota's startled exclamation and then Jorgan's angry voice. "Get after her! Bring her back - unharmed."_ _

__Hopefully that meant they wouldn't start shooting indiscriminately. Rian skidded around a corner and into the narrow space between two buildings. She leapt over a pile of broken wall panels and ducked behind a stack of crates. She could hear booted feet running after her and changed direction quickly. She needed somewhere to hole up until she could find a way out of the Fort._ _

__Several doors opened onto the narrow alley between the buildings and the outer wall, but each one she tried was securely locked. She could still hear her pursuers, though it seemed she had lost them for the moment. Most of the doors had electronic lock but a handful had mechanical ones. She could probably slice the door panels but that would leave an electronic record of where she had gone, if anyone thought to look. She chose one of the ones with manual locks and dropped to a knee in front of it, pulling a set of lock picks from one of her pockets. The lock was stubborn but not difficult, and within moments she heard it click open. The voices of the soldiers were getting louder, so she slipped quickly inside and locked the door behind her again._ _

__It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust, and she thanked her luck. It seemed that she had ended up in a storehouse and the dim space was stacked with crates and supplies. She pulled out her holocom while she scanned the labels of the crates, and flicked the sound to the lowest setting._ _

__Corso picked up almost immediately, looking surprised to see her. "Captain?" The small speaker made his voice tinny, while his holo image glowed blue in the low light. "Is something wrong? You didn't make the rendezvous."_ _

__Corso Riggs was one of her local contacts, a young Human man with nice cheekbones and an easy smile. She had a hold full of illegal blasters for his boss - labelled as seeds and farm implements, of course - and the delivery was supposed to take place in the morning. But he was one of the few people she knew on this planet, and probably the most trustworthy._ _

__"Something's come up," she said, keeping her voice low. One of the crates seemed to be Republic uniforms. A disguise certainly couldn't hurt right now and she set her communicator down so she could open it. "I'm in the Fort, and I need a way out. Quick and quiet."_ _

__Corso nodded, his dark dreadlocks swaying around his face. He tied them back in one quick motion and tapped a finger against his lower lip. "I might be able to figure something out. Where are you?"_ _

__"I'm in a warehouse by the wall. Track my comm signal." The first uniform she unfolded was much too big for her, so she kept digging. "I've got an outstanding warrant on me - a complete misunderstanding, of course - but I don't really want to spend my time here in lockup trying to explain it to some Republic commander." Corso chuckled and she flashed him a grin. "I need to disappear. Oh, and the _Event Horizon_ too. I'm sure they'll impound her if they can, especially if they open those crates of yours. Can you get her on lockdown, or move her somewhere else?"_ _

__He was silent for a few moments, and she could hear him tapping away at a computer. "All right, I've got you. Can you stay there for a while?"_ _

__"It seems quiet so far, but I might have to move in a hurry." She finally found a uniform that would fit and pulled the trousers on right over her own pants. The added bulk had the extra benefit of changing her body shape somewhat. The second armoured jacket that she donned over top of her own bulked her up in a hurry. She winced as the sleeve rubbed against the burn on her arm, but she would rather be in pain than caught. It took her longer to find a helmet that was made for a Twi'lek, but she finally tucked her _lekku_ through one and settled it high on her head. She glanced at her holocom but Corso was still working away, his attention caught by something off to his left._ _

__"Okay," he finally said. "Your ship is taken care of. Skavak's volunteered to move her to another landing site. He just needs you to send me the launch codes. And I've got a contact in the Fort that can get you out, but you're going to need to get to the Rendia Freight offices. I've sent the coordinates to your communicator."_ _

__Rian leaned over and plugged her wrist computer into the communicator to transfer the coordinates onto her map and send Corso the launch codes for her ship. "Got it. Who's the contact?"_ _

__Corso hesitated. "His name is Viidu. He's our boss, me and Skavak. He's the one who ordered the blasters."_ _

__Rian sighed and shook her head. "And I'm putting myself in his debt before he's paid for the delivery. Stars, this is going to cost me some credits on this deal, isn't it?" It was a rhetorical question, and Corso didn't bother to respond. "Well, my options are limited. Thanks, Riggs. I owe you one. If I make it out of here, of course. And tell Skavak not to scratch the paint on my girl." She flashed him a grin and disconnected. Her holocom went back into her pocket and her pistol went onto her hip. She also grabbed a blaster rifle from a rack on the wall and slung it over her shoulder. Republic soldiers carried more firepower than she usually did and she didn't want to stand out for the lack of a rifle._ _

__The alley was deserted when she slipped back outside. She closed the door behind her and pulled the helmet down over her face, then set off with purposeful strides towards the other side of the Fort. The Rendia Freight offices were near the spaceport, which was sure to be crawling with soldiers who would be watching in case she made a break for it, but she didn't have any other options._ _

__She forced her shoulders to relax as she neared the spaceport. She hadn't been stopped yet, though she had passed by a number of soldiers patrolling the streets. Twi'lek soldiers were rare, but thankfully there were enough at Fort Garnik that she hadn't attracted any extra attention._ _

__As she had expected, the patrols thickened as she got closer to the spaceport. She made a show of pausing near a row of warehouses and checking her wrist computer, then looking up and down the row. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a voice spoke at her elbow, but quickly controlled the reaction._ _

__"Can I help you, solider?" A young Human, hardly more than a boy, was standing a few feet away. He was dressed in civilian clothes - not new, but in good repair. He was skinny, but she wasn't sure if it was because he was still growing or because there was a food shortage._ _

__"I'm looking for Rendia Freight," she said._ _

__"Second warehouse," he replied, pointing to his left. She followed his gesture to make note of the correct building and when she turned back to thank him, he was already gone. She was initially confused, until she caught sight of another patrol at the end of the street. Maybe he didn't want to attract their attention any more than she did. Though it did beg the question of why he had spoken to her in the first place, instead of staying hidden. Maybe a single female soldier wasn't a threat, or maybe he was part of Corso's network. She wasn't going to hunt him down to ask._ _

__With the patrol still a block away, she strode purposefully up to the Rendia Freight warehouse and rapped firmly on the door. "I'm here to see Viidu," she told the man who opened the door. He stepped aside to let her in and she was off the streets before the patrol got any closer._ _


	2. Chapter 2

Viidu was a fat man, balding and sweating even in the climate-controlled warehouse. The remnants of his dark hair were tied in a short queue at the back of his head and he repeatedly smoothed his moustache with one hand in a nervous gesture he didn't seem aware he was doing.

"Thank you, Relsen, that will be all," he said with a dismissive wave to the man who led Rian into his private office. It was richly decorated, quite a contrast to the stark warehouse and the military fort behind her. A massive conference table and a half-dozen chairs dominated the space atop a brightly patterned rug. Carved shelves lined the walls, holding exotic wines and sculptures, and stacks of datapads.

Viidu waved for her to take a seat. He was already ensconced in the largest chair at the head of the table, a glass of wine and a holoviewer in front of him. She lowered herself into the chair beside him and tilted her helmet up but didn't bother to remove it. "Corso sent me," she said, just in case there was any confusion as to who she was.

The fat man narrowed his eyes at her. "Yes, I'm aware. You're the captain who was supposed to bring my shipment. You've caused rather a lot of trouble, you know."

"Not on purpose," she snapped, then forced herself to relax. Antagonizing the man wouldn't help. "I'm sorry. I'm sure we can rework the deal if you can help me get out of here to rendezvous with my ship."

Viidu tapped his fingers on the stem of his wine glass. "Yes, your ship. That's part of the problem. It's gone."

Rian felt her blood turn to ice. "What do you mean, gone?"

"I mean it's left the spaceport," Viidu said and Rian interrupted, relieved.

"Yes, that's part of the plan. We didn't want the soldiers to impound it, especially with your cargo still on board."

But Viidu was shaking his head. "No, it's left the system. Skavak was kind enough to call me to let me know." He tapped the holoviewer and Skavak's shape appeared in the air above it.

"Viidu, you scoundrel. I have a present here with your name on it." He gestured behind him, presumably at the crates of blasters. "Too bad you'll never see it. Oh, and thank the captain - ex-captain, actually - for this lovely ship. I never thought she'd just hand it over to me. I didn't even have to kill her to get it." He smiled widely, the tattoo coiling down the right side of his face making him look dangerous and insane, and the holo cut off.

Rian shot to her feet, swearing. "That's my ship! He stole my ship!"

"Captain, calm down," Viidu said, spreading his hands placatingly. Rian thought the gesture carried very little weight when the man was a bundle of nerves himself. "We can track him down and get your ship - and my cargo - back. But first, we need to get you out of here before the soldiers find you."

Taking a deep breath, Rian sat back down. Her blood was still boiling, but she knew Viidu was right. Getting herself captured wouldn't get her ship back from that scum.

*****

In the end, getting out of Fort Garnik was laughably easy. That wasn't to say it wasn't one of the most stressful hours of her life, but Viidu had simply tucked her into a large crate in a shipment of supplies heading to Oradam village, a Republic-controlled settlement west of Drelliad. The village was mostly populated by militia members and their families, so she hoped that they wouldn't think much of a blaster-wielding Twi'lek wandering the streets. Viidu said they didn't tend to scan identification cards, so she wouldn't need to worry about that. A lot of the settlers had lost everything in the bloody conflict so a lack of an ident card wasn't the problem it would have been on a more stable world. The crate was cramped, but she was flexible. She knew she would have some new bruises once she got out of the hot, dark space but Viidu hadn't wanted to warn his crew to be careful with one particular crate as that would have looked suspicious.

Corso himself was there to release her and she spent a long moment stretching the kinks out of her muscles and breathing fresh air before she turned to look at him. It was her first time meeting him in person and he was even younger than he had looked on the holo. And he had even nicer cheekbones too. He was a few inches taller than she was, solidly built and dressed in nondescript clothes but she noticed the subtle armour plates stitched into the cloth and he had a blaster rifle slung over one shoulder. "Nice to finally meet you for real, Captain," he said, offering his hand. His grip was firm and she could feel blaster calluses on his fingers.

"You too, Riggs. And thanks. I really do owe you." She was worried what this whole mess was going to end up costing her in the end, but for right now she was just glad she wasn't in a cell.

"I'm sure we'll work something out." His grin showed white, even teeth in his tanned face. "And besides, I know my friends would help me out if I was in a tight spot." He shrugged as if it was really that simple. "I wasn't going to just leave you there."

She raised an eyebrow at the use of the word "friend". He seemed awfully naïve for someone who had grown up in a veritable war zone. Rian knew he had been fighting the Separatists for the past two years and that he'd had a blaster in his hands long before then. "Any news?" she asked, changing the subject.

He shook his head. "Not a word. Viidu's scrambling his people, though. As soon as that scum docks somewhere, we'll know."

Rian made a face, buckling her gun belt back on. She hadn't worn it in the crate, preferring to have it on her lap in case she needed it. She'd left the Republic armour behind. It had been too bulky, and she was more comfortable in her own clothing. "So what do we do now?"

Corso favoured her with a long, level look. "Well, Captain, I'd suggest you lay low for now. The Fort is all stirred up like a nest of ants. We're not all that far from them so they'll probably move on to the village at some point and it wouldn't do for them to spot you sauntering down the street like you own the place. We'll get you moved again once they settle down some."

She scowled and shook her head. "I can't just sit around doing nothing!"

"Then we'll find something for you to do. This is my turf, Captain. My rules."

Rian rocked back on her heels, looking at him in surprise. She hadn't realized there was steel under that aw-shucks farm boy exterior but she should have known. No one could survive long in his line of work without it.

*****

Corso's "something" turned out to be babysitting. She shouldn't have been surprised that the refugee camps were full of orphans, or that there weren't enough adults to watch them all. It still didn't mean that she was going to forgive him for this.

The others - mostly older refugees, or ones too injured to hold a blaster - had taken pity on her and left her with only two kids to watch. Myll was six, a scrawny brown-haired Human boy with the same troublemaker's soul that she recognized in herself. Seena was five - and a half!, she kept reminding Rian - a tiny Cathar kitten with tawny stripes in her red fur and piercing yellow eyes. She could always find Rian when they played hide-and-seek, which reminded her uncomfortably of the fact that Lieutenant Jorgan probably had an even better sense of smell.

The two children ran her ragged that first day and she collapsed into bed that night wondering where they managed to find all that energy. She knew from dinner than no one was eating enough calories, not even the children. But it seemed that these two must have been well fed sometime in the recent past and hadn't succumbed to the lethargy that gripped some of the others yet.

Corso shook her awake in the morning and she had her blaster out and pointed at him almost before her eyes were open. He jerked back in alarm but she recognized him and lowered the weapon. "Sorry," she muttered. "You startled me."

He chewed his lip, eyes flicking briefly to the blaster and she knew he was wondering what could have happened to make her so jumpy. "My fault. I shouldn't have grabbed you."

She carefully tucked the pistol away and rubbed sleep out of her eyes. "I should have warned you."

He hesitated just a fraction of a moment. "About what?" His voice was genuinely curious, and his face was open and honest. She found herself wanting to trust him, even though she had no real reason to.

She patted the edge of the cot and he settled down beside her. "I'm a Twi'lek." She shrugged. "What do you think?"

"You were a slave?" Corso's voice was very quiet.

"I was eight when I was taken." She saw his horrified look out of the corner of her eye. "I was trained as a dancer until I was sixteen, then I was sold to a wealthy brothel owner. I escaped when I was nineteen, and I've been free ever since. So yes, I sleep with a blaster, and I'm not fond of being grabbed suddenly. Or of captivity. So you can guess how much I owe you for your help."

He was quiet for a moment. "I can't even imagine that sort of life. I grew up on a farm. I was going to join the military, until the Seps decided they thought they could run things better." His expression went hard and his hands dropped to his lap.

"It was more than that, wasn't it?" she asked gently.

"Seps killed my family," he muttered, looking down at his hands. "I'm just trying my best to see it doesn't happen to anyone else."

Rian shifted uncomfortably. She wasn't sure why she was baring her soul to this near-stranger. She must be more bored than she realized. She was going stir-crazy stuck dirt-side, and it had only been a day. She needed to get her ship back, and soon. She cleared her throat and made an effort to lighten the mood. "So what's on the schedule for today? More babysitting?"

Corso chuckled, smacking a hand lightly onto her thigh. "Not today. You deserve a break."

"Really?" she asked sceptically. It had only been a day. She knew she wasn't great with kids, but she didn't think she had done that bad of a job.

"Viidu's got some news. He wants to see us."

Rian jumped up in excitement. "Already? That's great! Come on!" She offered Corso a hand and hauled him to his feet and taking a moment to admire the muscles moving under his bland tunic and trousers. He was quite a handsome young man, made more so by the fact that he seemed to be mostly unaware of it. She wondered if he might be amenable to some extracurricular activities. She needed to keep herself distracted somehow, and sex was as good a way as any. "Wait, us? What does he want with you?"

Corso shrugged, looking uncomfortable. "I don't know." He was a terrible liar, and she planted her hands on her hips. He tried to avoid looking at her but finally sighed. "He's got a job for us. As repayment for helping you escape."

Rian sighed and shook her head. She had known that calling in favours was going to cost her. "Let's go, then. The sooner we get going, the sooner we're done."

Corso led the way out of her room and towards the front door of the hostel. "Don't worry, Captain. This shouldn't be difficult."


	3. Chapter 3

"You want us to _what_?" Corso yelled in disbelief, jerking backwards away from Viidu in anger. Since there was no way Rian would have been able to get into the Fort, Viidu had come to them. They were meeting in the basement of a partially collapsed house. Corso might have been with the militia but Viidu wasn't, and he didn't necessarily want the Republic to know that he was working for the gangster.

The fat smuggler jabbed a finger at him. "My client paid for four crates of blasters! Captain Tsel'rianeen needs to deliver them to me."

"But her ship was stolen!" Corso shouted. "By one of _your_ men, no less. How can you expect her to make good on the deal now?"

Rian was watching silently, reading the body language that Corso was too worked up to notice. "Because he's scared of something," she said. Corso whipped around to stare at her in shock but she ignored him and held Viidu's eyes. "I'd guess his client isn't a nice man, and Viidu knows he's a dead man if he can't deliver."

"And I won't be the only one," the fat man said ominously. "I'll make sure Rogun the Butcher knows all about the problems with his shipment." Rian had to quickly smother a laugh. The man actually called himself "The Butcher"?

"But you won't tell him the whole truth, will you?" Corso snapped, flinging himself into a chair so hard that it groaned in protest.

"Think of it as incentive to perform," Viidu said coldly. "Bring me four crates of blasters. I don't care if they're Republic, Sep, or bloody Imperial weapons, but you'll deliver them here, or you're both dead, just like I'll be. There's nowhere in the galaxy you can hide that Rogun won't find you."

*****

Corso was still snarling when they left the meeting with Viidu. "I can't believe he's holding this over our heads," he said as he stomped down the dusty main street through the village. He glanced at Rian when she just shrugged, letting him vent. "How many blasters per crate, anyways?"

"Twenty," she said, watching as his jaw dropped.

"No way we can get that many," he said, face falling. "I wonder if it's too late to run."

"We won't be able to get them one at a time," she corrected. "Not quickly, at least. We'll have to hit supply depots."

He looked a little more hopeful. "Do you think we can manage that?"

She shrugged. "No telling until we try it. You know the area. Where's the nearest supply depot?"

"Other than there?" Corso jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the well-guarded bulk of Fort Garnik in the middle distance. "Probably one of the Sep camps. I can ask around."

Rian nodded. "Sounds like we're getting dangerously close to a plan."

*****

The nearest Separatist camp was less than an hour's walk from Oradam. Rian was starting to think the Seps had more firepower than brains, because they had decided to situate their ramshackle collection of huts and tents in a narrow canyon. They probably felt safe, protected by the jagged rock walls, but even someone who spent most of her time in space could tell that the Separatists would be sitting ducks if anyone with an assault cannon or a bag of grenades ever bothered to climb the cliffs. The narrow canyon might offer some protection from aerial bombardment, but it would be a death trap if anyone took the cliff top.

She and Corso were holed up in a tumble of boulders a short distance away, taking turns peering at the camp through Corso's binoculars. "I've seen two patrols, on a half-hour sweep," Rian handed the binoculars back over. "Three lookouts on the east wall, but I haven't seen any on the west side."

"That's what I saw too," Corso said, tucking the binoculars away. "What's the plan?"

Rian leaned back against a boulder and considered her options. "You stay here," she said at last, rolling into a crouch and checking her equipment. She zipped her armoured jacket up to her chin despite the heat. "I'm going to see if I can climb up the back of those cliffs and get a better look into the camp."

"No way!" Corso hissed, only just remembering to keep his voice down. "You can't go alone."

She looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. "And you can climb in all that kit?" Corso had strapped on proper armour before they had set out, a stiff durasteel shell that would fend off blaster fire. It looked impressive, but he sacrificed mobility for protection and he knew it. "I need you to cover me. I can't shoot back while I'm halfway up a cliff."

He grumbled but accepted her decision. They waited for the second patrol to saunter past down the dusty path - they showed a shocking lack of discipline, chatting and laughing among themselves rather than checking for ambushers - then made their way slowly around to the west side of the canyon. Up close, the rock face looked rather daunting, but Rian knew it was climbable. It might just take longer than she had originally thought. She let Corso pick his own hiding spot. He had enough experience to figure it out on his own and she didn't think he'd appreciate her dictating anything to him right now. She adjusted her holster around to rest on the small of her back so her pistol wouldn't get caught on the cliff, and started upwards.

The blaster burn on her arm made the climb much harder than it should have been, and she was panting and sweating by the time she reached the top. She took a quick look around to make sure she was alone before collapsing on the sun-baked rock. Her whole arm shook and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold her blaster steady with that hand. Reaching around awkwardly behind her, she drew the pistol with her left hand and rolled to her feet. She moved in a cautious crouch, searching the jagged cliff top for lookouts, but didn't spot any. Why would they guard one side of their camp but not the other? It didn't make sense.

The body was concealed in a jumble of boulders, and she nearly passed it by if not for the faint scent of blood in the air. She crouched down to feel for a pulse, but the young man was dead, a perfect puncture wound at the base of his skull. It was expertly done, with a regular blade rather than a vibroknife. There was no way someone could have snuck up on him with a vibroblade - the hum would have given it away. And the wound would have been much bigger. Vibroblades were messy. The body was still warm, but with the heat of the air and the rock under her feet, that didn't tell her much.

The second lookout was barely hidden by a mound of low, scrubby brush. His neck had been broken. Her heart started to pound faster, wondering just what kind of stealthy killer had been here before of her, and if they were still here. She tapped the communicator stud in her ear. Corso's voice was hugely reassuring.

"Eyes peeled," she murmured. "We're not the first ones here. I've found two dead lookouts. Whoever did it is a pro; these guys had no idea anyone was coming for them."

There was a faint hiss of static. "Get out of there," Corso said, voice tight. "If they're that good, we don't stand a chance against them."

"Doubting me, Riggs?" Rian asked, letting a hint of humour creep into her voice and was rewarded with a low chuckle.

"Never, Captain. Just saying maybe we should regroup and figure out exactly what's going on."

Rian flexed her right arm, which still trembled. She didn't want to tell him she'd probably fall to her death if she tried to climb down right now. "Five more minutes. I think whoever did the killing is gone. There's no sign of anyone up here."

"Captain," Corso warned in her ear, but she ignored him, dialling the volume down until she could barely hear him.

She made her way slowly along the ridge, careful to never get herself in a position to be seen by the sentries on the other side of the canyon, but finally finding a sheltered nook where she could look down at the Separatist village without being observed. Everything looked normal. A handful of men and women were sitting around talking in low voices while they cleaned their guns or pored over maps. No one seemed to notice anything amiss.

She was reaching for her communicator to tell Corso she was heading back down when there was a faint scuff behind her. Before she could even start to turn, a blaster barrel was pressed firmly to the base of her skull. "I wouldn't move if I were you," growled an all-too-familiar voice.

*****

It hadn't taken Jorgan long to relieve her of her weapons and cuff her wrists together behind her. He had even found the vibroknife in her boot and her lock picks, though not the tiny blade cleverly concealed along the side seam of her trousers. His nimble fingers plucked the communicator from her ear and tucked it away in one of his pouches before tapping his own. "Report, Sergeant." He paused, head tilted to the side and eyes focused on her. "Well done. Meet me at the rendezvous point." He gestured with his pistol, leaving his assault cannon holstered on his back. He was dressed in nearly the same sort of armour she had seen on Viggota and Corso and she didn't know how he could move so quietly in it. "Get moving."

"And if I don't?" Rian asked, quirking a brow. They were both still keeping their voices low so they didn't alert the Separatists below them. She jerked her head towards the canyon. "You can't shoot me. They'll hear the shot and come running, and I don't think that even a Spec Op can take them all single-handedly."

Jorgan's sharp brows rose in surprise, but she already knew he was Special Forces. She had recognized the badge on Viggota's armour, even if she didn't know what squad it was from, and there was no way that he would be taking orders from Jorgan if he wasn't Special Forces too.

"There are quieter ways to kill," the Cathar said with a shrug. "And we both know you're a survivor, Captain. You're better off coming with me and trying to escape later than dying here and now."

Rian tilted her head, acknowledging the point, and let him help her to her feet, though she stayed crouched over to stay out of sight of the sentries across the canyon. Having her hands cuffed behind her made her clumsy - to say nothing of the way it made the blaster burn on her arm ache - and she accepted Jorgan's assistance with ill grace when she stumbled.

Fortunately, the Cathar had found a different way up the cliff because there was no way she could climb down with her hands shackled together. It looked like a dry wash, where a narrow stream had once cut its way down the cliff face, and it was steep and treacherous. Jorgan made her go first and she nearly fell several times, slipping and skidding on the rough stone until she was sure she'd taken most of the skin off her palms and elbows, even through her jacket, but she gritted her teeth and said nothing. She was thankful they had moved further away from the camp because she was making far too much noise. The Seps tended to shoot first and ask questions later.

Once they were back on level ground, the barrel of his blaster prodded her to a faster speed as he steered her away from the canyon. He avoided the road, cutting across the open terrain. The ground rose and fell in gentle hills, covered by low, scrubby grass and the occasional sad-looking bush. She could smell salt and hear the sound of waves lapping on the shore when suddenly the ground dropped away to the beach. It was a ten-foot drop and she knew she couldn't manage it with her arms tied. She'd break an ankle, or worse.

"No way," she balked, halting a few paces from the edge and turning to face Jorgan. "Find another way down, or uncuff me."

He sighed, rolling his eyes, and tapped his communicator again. "Pick us up above the beach." He turned his strange eyes on her again. "Don't worry, Princess. We'll make sure you don't chip your nails." She didn't bother to respond to that, not caring much what he thought of her. The more helpless he thought she was, the more likely he was to let his guard down.

She breathed steadily, trying to ignore the stinging pain in her hands and arms and watched him out of the corner of her eye. She saw his ears twitch a moment before she heard it herself - the low thrum of a motor. It had been masked by the wash of waves on the beach but now that it was closer it was obvious - an airspeeder. She twisted around to watch it swoop gracefully up over the shallow cliff and land gently a short distance from them, and was unsurprised to see the Republic military logo on the nose. Nor was she surprised when Viggota opened the rear hatch and escorted her in. It was the sight of Corso, shackled and strapped to a chair, that made her stomach drop. She'd been hoping he might have been able to help her get free. It seemed he had had the same hope. When he twisted to see what was going on, his shoulders slumped when he spotted her.

Jorgan prodded her forward and she frowned as the rest of Corso's face became visible. His left eye was swelling shut and a split lip had left a red trail of blood down his chin and spattered across his armour. He shrugged as much as his bonds would let him, and she let Jorgan push her down beside him. The Cathar slipped her hands through the opening at the back of the chair and fastened them down, then strapped the seat restraints around her. Viggota watched impassively, though Rian did note a darkening bruise on his jaw and shared a grin with Corso as the two soldiers retreated to the cockpit and the speeder lifted into the air.

"You all right?" she murmured to her companion, letting the noise of the engines cover her voice.

"More or less," Corso muttered back. "At least I got a good shot in on that walking mountain. You?"

"I'd be better without the cuffs, but I'll live." She let her head thump back against the headrest. "I guess we know who the pro was that killed the lookouts." She shook her head in amazement. "I can't believe how quiet that cat can move in all that armour."

Corso chuckled quietly, letting his good eye slip closed. "I was too busy trying to get you to listen to me to notice that big guy." She winced, remembering how she had turned the volume on her communicator down. Maybe if she hadn't, Corso would have heard Viggota coming. "No sense worrying about it now, though." He opened his good eye and looked over at her. "I'd be very happy to hear that you already have a plan, Captain."

She shrugged, then winced as her abused arms protested the movement. "Sorry to disappoint."

Corso watched her carefully, noting the torn sleeves of her jacket and the awkward way she was holding her arms. "You'll come up with something."

*****

The flight back to Fort Garnik was depressingly short and she and Corso were separated as soon as they hit the ground. He was hustled off by two Republic soldiers while she was left with Viggota and Jorgan. She didn't want to think about what that might mean. Surely her warrant - which was only for being suspected of smuggling medical supplies out of a Republic hospital - didn't require the attention of two Spec Ops soldiers. Even given that she had escaped right under their noses.

"This way," Jorgan said curtly, leading the way from the speeder pad towards one of the durasteel buildings that bore the Republic military logo. Strangely, this one also had the Republic Medical Corps logo and she was surprised to find herself in a bright and clean hospital. Jorgan held up a hand to summon a doctor and pointed at her. "She needs medical attention. Abrasions to both lower arms and hands."

"And a blaster burn," Viggota spoke up from behind her. "Right biceps." She turned to look at him in surprise and he met her eyes steadily until the doctor interrupted.

"Right this way, miss." She followed the green-skinned Mirialan into an exam room, unsurprised when Jorgan and Viggota both crowded in. The doctor took it all in stride. He was an army doctor, after all, and she was in shackles.

Rian had hoped she might be freed for the doctor to examine her wounds but instead he cut away the sleeves with a laser scalpel. She scowled at this, but he pretended not to notice. She couldn't see the damage to her hands and arms, but the doctor's soft exclamation of surprise didn't bode well. The antiseptic burned but then a cool salve soothed the ache before the Mirialan bandaged them securely. Her blaster burn was subjected to similar treatment and re-bandaged. She had been hoping for synth-skin or a dermal regenerator, but they wouldn't waste those kinds of resources on a prisoner.

Treatment finished, she stood and faced the Spec Ops soldiers again. "Where's Corso? He was injured too, but your goons took him somewhere else."

Jorgan barely even bothered to look at her. "His wounds weren't likely to get infected. Command will most likely send him for treatment after questioning him."

"Questioning him about what?" she snapped, nearing the end of her patience. It hadn't been a very good couple of days.

"Please come with us, Captain," Jorgan said, ignoring her question. She snorted but complied. There wasn't much else she could do.

She was shown to a cell in the Interrogation Centre and unshackled, then watched Jorgan and Viggota leave through the force field's haze. They still hadn't told her anything.

*****

Her cell was ten feet square and contained a bed and a tiny privy, tucked behind a waist-high wall. She was already bored, and it had only been a couple of hours. She had a tiny blade sewn into one of the seams of her pants and she tried to surreptitiously free it, but her bandaged hands were clumsy and she hadn't been able to manage yet. The bandages covered her skin from palm to wrist, with a gap where the cuffs had been, and then went all the way up to her elbows. She had scrapes on her knuckles as well, but the doctor had cleaned them and they didn't look too bad.

She hadn't seen any sign of Corso and tried not to think of what that might mean. Maybe they realized they had arrested him by mistake and let him go - though there was still the fact that he had assaulted a Republic soldier. No one had come to see her to tell her what she was being charged with. No one had spoken to her at all.

She was half-dozing on the bed when she heard footsteps approaching and sat up quickly, hiding a wince as her scrapes and sore muscles protested. A trio of Republic interrogators approached, dark uniforms blending into the dim light of the cavernous room behind them.

"Another alien?" A brown-haired Human in an officer's uniform sneered at her through the force field. Rian didn't bother to respond, lounging back on the bed and watching him insolently. The officer nodded to one of the other soldiers and he deactivated the force field. Rian arched a brow as the other soldier approached her with a pair of cuffs.

"Your hands," he said. Rian thought about refusing, but she saw the other soldier train his blaster on her. She didn't need any new burns or scars. She'd gained quite enough of those over the past two days. The cold metal of the cuffs closed around the bare patch of skin at her wrists and she hid a shudder. She really didn't like being restrained.

"So do I finally get to find out what I'm being charged with?" she asked, looking up at the officer. He smiled coldly and crossed his arms, but said nothing. Rian saw movement out of the corner of her eye and jerked her head to the side an instant too late as one of the soldiers backhanded her across the face. She reeled back, ears ringing and tasting blood, and threw her hands up to protect her face.

"Real charming, guys," she snapped, kicking out sharply and catching the nearest soldier in the knee with the heel of her boot. She heard bone crunch and he shrieked in pain and collapsed. "You're really courageous, handcuffing the unarmed woman before you decide to smack her around." She ducked under the second soldier's arms as he tried to grab her and kneed him hard in the stomach. His breath went out in a whoosh and he staggered backwards.

Outside the cell, the officer gaped at her in astonishment, then scrabbled for the blaster at his hip as she charged towards him. In his panic he wasn't able to get the weapon clear of its holster before she was on him. She rammed an elbow into his face, hearing his nose crunch, and brought her bound hands down on the back of his head. A jolt of pain went through her bandaged hands but the officer went down in a heap as the heavy durasteel cuffs smashed into the base of his skull, and his blaster clattered to the floor. She scooped it up and ran for the door.

She paused to scan the street, then slipped outside. She ducked behind the building and set off at a jog down the alley. Her eventual goal was Rendia Freight, but she took a circuitous route, not wanting to lead anyone there.

When she judged she was far enough away, she took shelter behind a pile of crates. She squeezed herself in between the crates and the building so she couldn't be seen and examined the cuffs. They were Republic standard cuffs, with an electronic key, but they could also be unlocked if the wires were cut. If she could get to the wires. She sucked gently on her split lip as she worked, trying to get it to stop bleeding. The whole side of her face was still throbbing and she knew she would have an impressive bruise.

Now that she wasn't trying to hide her actions from the holocams in the cells, she was able to work the tiny blade free despite the added difficulty of the manacles. The blade was thin enough to slip into the crack in the housing and after some awkward prying that left her with a number of fresh cuts on her fingers, she managed to pop it apart. She spent a moment examining the wiring while she wiped the blood off her fingers, then slid the blade in and sliced neatly through the one that provided power to the electromagnetic lock. She heard a faint click and when she twisted her wrists, the cuffs popped open.

She returned the blade to its hiding place and stuffed the cuffs into a gap between two crates. A faint shout that she thought was coming from the vicinity of the Interrogation Centre spurred her back into motion. They wouldn't stop hunting until they had found her, so staying still wouldn't do any good. She needed to get out of the city, and preferably off-planet. Though she wouldn't take that option until she was able to make sure that Corso was safe. He didn't deserve this sort of trouble for helping her. Maybe she could get both of them off-planet and they could work on tracking Skavak down.

The shallow cuts on her fingers had mostly stopped bleeding and she wiped her hands clean one last time before gripping the blaster firmly and stepping out from behind the crates, only to stop suddenly in shock. Sergeant Viggota was lounging against the wall only ten feet from her, dressed in a fresh uniform with his blaster pistol casually resting against his thigh. "You know, you're lucky I found you first. Kellik was saying you should be shot on sight."

She jerked her stolen blaster up, pointing it squarely at his head. "Drop your weapon," she said, ignoring his words. She didn't know how he had managed to find her and she didn't much care. She just knew she had to get past him, and fast.

He looked down at his pistol and back up at her, though he made no move to lift the weapon. He frowned when he saw the bruise on her face. "I don't think so. I think you should drop yours, and come with me quietly. You'll be safe under Havoc Squad's protection."

She thought the name sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. Clearly a Spec Forces team, but the Republic was usually pretty tight-lipped about them. "Safe? In another jail cell where some puffed-up prick thinks he can smack me around because he feels like it? I don't think so; that didn't work out so well for me this time. Besides, I haven't been charged with anything. You have no right to hold me. This isn't the Empire, all evidence to the contrary." She ran a finger over her bruised face and split lip.

Viggota arched an eyebrow and pushed himself off the wall, ignoring the way her finger tightened on the trigger. "You know we can't let you go, not after what you did."

Rian was about to open her mouth to protest her innocence again - all the while thinking that this level of hostility was completely unwarranted for the mere theft of medical supplies - when something struck her hard across the back of the head. Bright sparks exploded across her vision and she felt the blaster fall from her fingers as everything went dark.


	4. Chapter 4

Rian wasn't sure how long she had been unconscious. Her mouth was dry, but her head wasn't pounding like she would have expected after the knock she had taken. She pushed herself slowly upright, blinking blearily. She was lying on a low bed, in a plain grey room. A force field hummed softly, separating her from a featureless corridor. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. The metal floor was cold under her bare feet and she shivered. She felt stiff, as if she had been in the same position for too long.

She was dressed in a loose pair of white drawstring pants and a shapeless light blue tunic, neither of which fit her properly. She had to roll the pant legs up to keep from tripping over them and the neckline of the shirt persisted in sliding sideways off her shoulders. A pair of flat, papery slippers sat beside the bed and she stuck her feet into them, though they didn't do much to keep her warm.

She rolled her shoulders to loosen them and sauntered towards the force field. From this angle, she could see that the hallway stretched out a short distance to the left and right of her cell before ending in heavy doors. The wall opposite her was blank but she suspected there were other cells beside hers. She couldn't see anyone from where she stood, no matter how she craned her neck.

Her hands and arms were still bandaged, but the tiny cuts on her fingers and her split lip seemed to have healed, though the side of her face was still a bit tender. She frowned. Just how long had she been out? A small bandage in the crook of her elbow made her grit her teeth. They'd drugged her. There was no telling how long they had kept her sedated. At least that explained why her head didn't hurt. She started unwrapping the other bandages. The wounds were well on their way to healed, as was the blaster burn. Soon it would be just another scar.

She sat back down on the bed and leaned back against the wall, then jerked upright again. It wasn't a wall, it was a bulkhead. She could feel the faint vibrations of an engine. She was on a starship.

She shot to her feet and pressed as close as she dared to the force field. She didn't see any Republic markings, so maybe this was a civilian ship. There was no telling where it was headed, though. She muttered a curse and leaned against the wall.

"Captain?" a surprised voice asked from her right.

"Riggs?" She couldn't get a good angle to see him, but she knew he must be in the next cell. She swore creatively in Mando'a. "I hoped you had gotten away."

He chuckled quietly. "No such luck. It's good to hear your voice, though. You all right?"

"More or less," she replied, absently probing the back of her head. There was a bruise there, but it didn't hurt too much. "I think they've had me drugged, though. How long has it been since they caught us?"

She heard him slide down the wall to sit on the floor. "Four days."

She bit back another curse, grinding her teeth together hard. "Where are we?"

"A Republic transport, the _Esseles_. It's headed to Coruscant."

"Why in blazes are they taking us to Coruscant?" Rian asked. "Have they said anything to you?"

"Not a word," Corso replied. He sounded tired. "What's going on?"

"Not a clue." She bit her lip. "I've only got the one warrant out on me. To my knowledge anyways."

"And what's it for?" Corso asked sharply.

"Nothing this big," she said. "I may have helped myself to some Republic supply crates once, but it was for a good cause!"

Corso laughed and she relaxed a bit. She felt bad that she had gotten him tangled up in whatever was going on, but it would be easier to get out of it if they worked together, so she couldn't risk having him angry at her. "Any routine here that you've seen?"

"Not yet. I haven't seen anyone since we got dumped in here. Maybe three hours ago?"

Rian growled, pushing away from the wall to pace the tiny cell. "Well hopefully something happens soon. Whatever's going on, I don't like it."

"Careful, Captain. Say stuff like that and something's liable to blow up. Don't you watch the holos?"

She laughed with him. She had a secret weakness for adventure holos and it was true - any time someone said something like that, it was usually the cue for a massive explosion. She held her breath for a moment, but when nothing happened immediately she let it out with a laugh. "I think we're probably safe. The most exciting thing we're likely to see before Coruscant is dinner."

Corso made a noise of agreement and they lapsed into silence for a few minutes. Rian had just stood up to go flop back on the bed when the ship rocked violently under her feet. She pitched forward, throwing her arms up to protect her face as she stumbled across the cell. She barked her shin painfully on the edge of the bed and her elbow slammed against the wall before she was able to right herself. A distant explosion reverberated through the ship.

"Riggs?" Rian couldn't hide the panic in her voice.

"Here, Captain," he groaned. "I told you not to tempt fate," he chuckled shakily. "You all right?"

"A little banged up," she said, wedging herself carefully between the foot of the bed and the wall. If there were any more explosions, she didn't want to be thrown around again. "You?"

"I'm fine." They both paused, hearing alert klaxons ringing across the ship. "What do you think that was?"

"You mean do I think that was an accident or an attack?" she asked, pressing herself against the bulkhead to listen to the engines. "Attack, I think. Which means it will probably happen again."

She had barely finished talking when the ship shuddered hard. This time, the explosion was closer at hand and she ducked her head when sparks rained down on her. She batted frantically at a couple that smouldered on her pants. "Still okay, Riggs?" He didn't answer, and she felt a stab of fear go through her. "Corso?"

"Here, Captain." His voice sounded closer, and she looked up. He was standing in hallway, grinning at her. He had a fresh scrape across his cheek and was rubbing at his shoulder, but he didn't look badly hurt. He was still dressed in the same clothes he had been wearing under his armour when they were captured and they were a little worse for wear. "Whatever that last shot hit, it knocked out the field on my cell. Let me see if I can get yours open too." She grinned fiercely back at him and they rode out another explosion before he managed to get her free.

"Nice work," she complimented him, looking left and right down the corridor. The cell that had been his had scorch marks along one wall. There was a third cell beside Corso's but it was empty, its force field either deactivated or damaged. She reached up to grasp his chin to examine the scrape on his cheek. It was bleeding sluggishly but he didn't look like he had a concussion, though he was watching her oddly. "Which way did they bring us in from? We should see if we can find the shuttle bay."

"How come?" Corso asked, looking confused. "Don't you want to stay and help?"

Rian shrugged. "I'd rather be far away before they know I'm missing," she replied. "I don't know why they're taking us to Coruscant but it can't be good."

"We could at least find out what's going on," he argued. "This is a transport ship. It's got to be full of civilians. If they're under attack, they might need us."

She rolled her eyes and picked a direction. She figured they might have put her closer to the door so they wouldn't have had to cart her any further, so she went left. The door was closed but not locked, and hissed open when she thumbed the controls beside it.

The hallway was filled with smoke and red emergency lighting. The klaxons were louder out here, but she didn't see anyone. Corso had followed her to the doorway, though he still looked disapproving. "Look, Riggs," she said, keeping an eye out down the hall. "I feel bad enough that I got you tangled up in whatever is going on. Let me get you safely out of here. I don't want to know I was responsible for anything happening to you."

He looked surprised. "Aww, Captain, I didn't know you cared."

She threw a grin over her shoulder at him. "Don't get too excited, Farm Boy. Just paying my debts."

He smirked at her and pointed to the left. "They brought us in that way."

She darted down the corridor, slippers hardly making a sound on the durasteel walkway. This clearly wasn't the public part of the ship. The walls and floor were bare metal, instead of being carpeted and painted to pretty it up for the passengers. The acrid smoke made her cough and she muffled it against her shoulder.

"Want me to lead the way?" Corso whispered from just behind her as she paused to peer around the corner.

She whipped her head around to glare at him. "You think I can't handle myself? Better to let the big, strong man go first?"

His tanned skin blushed quite prettily. "Yes, Ma'am. I mean, no, Ma'am. It's just that... you said yourself you'd been drugged for days. How good are you going to be in a fight?"

"I can handle myself, Riggs," she snapped, unwilling to admit he may have a point. She hadn't had a proper meal since she had left her ship. The refugees on Ord Mantell had shared what they had, but it hadn't exactly been plentiful or nourishing. And presumably she had been fed through a tube while she had been in the tender care of the Republic medical staff, so she wasn't exactly at her best. Still, she knew her body and it wasn't complaining too loudly. She would be fine.

She crouched down to look around the corner. This hallway was deserted too but there was a set of blast doors at the end of it. She grinned when she spotted the markings on the doors. This was one of the shuttle bays, no doubt about it. She jogged towards it, hearing Corso's footsteps behind her. Getting away from a space battle in a shuttle was tricky, but she knew she could probably manage it. They were nearly free.

Another explosion rocked the ship, this one closer and louder. Corso caught her arm as she staggered and she nodded a thanks. Just as she was about to make a run for the doors, she heard blaster fire and grabbed the back of Corso's shirt to stop him. "Someone's coming," she hissed. He cocked his head to listen and nodded, ducking into cover with her.

She risked another look and made a face. A trio of Imperial soldiers were backing down the connecting corridor and stopped by the blast doors. Two of them wore anonymous Imperial armour and carried blaster rifles but the third was in an officer's uniform and had a blaster pistol in his hand. Rian's eyes locked on it and she started running plans through her head that would let her get close enough to get the pistol away from him.

"Three Imps," she murmured to Corso. "An officer and two soldiers. The officer is just in a uniform but he's got a blaster. The other two are fully armoured and have rifles. They've stopped by the blast doors - I think they're trying to hold the shuttle bay."

Corso's eyes narrowed. "They may be waiting for backup. The Imps might be trying to dock more shuttles."

"That's what I was thinking." She took another look, watching one of the soldiers duck away from a blaster bolt. "We may also be contending with ship security. Someone's shooting at the Imps." She fisted a hand on her thigh and swore under her breath. "Stars, I wish I had a weapon!"

Corso tilted his head to the side, thinking, then hopped to his feet. "Be right back," he said, jogging back the way they had come. He tried to move as quietly as possible but thankfully the Imps were too focused on the blaster bolts that occasionally skimmed down the corridor to notice the sound of his boots on the durasteel. Whoever it was had a terrible shooting angle, but Rian wondered if they were just trying to keep the Imps pinned down while they waited for backup.

She looked up when she heard Corso returning. He had ransacked their cells, and he was carrying the thin blankets from their beds and a couple of short lengths of metal pipe. "I managed to pry these out of a wall panel," he said, handing her one. "They're not much, but it's better than nothing."

"And the blankets?" she asked, hefting the pipe to get a feel for it.

"Distraction," he told her with a grin.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile back. He was cute, and his grin was contagious. She grabbed one of the blankets and wound it loosely around her left arm, then picked up the pipe with her right. The Imperials were still crouched down beside the blast doors, and the officer was speaking into his holocom. "Now's as good a time as any," she told Corso. "They're pretty focused on whoever's shooting at them."

"I would be too," he replied, fingers tightening on his length of pipe. "After you, Captain."

She rolled her eyes but slipped around the corner and headed down the hall. She stuck close to the wall, moving as quietly as she could. The soldiers' helmets impeded their peripheral vision so she wasn't too worried about them spotting her, but if the officer looked up from his holo, she'd be caught. Behind her, Corso was moving even slower, putting his boots down with care to keep from making a sound.

As soon as she was close enough, she took the last few steps in a rush. She flung the trailing edge of the blanket over the officer's face and slammed the pipe into the back of his head. She dropped the pipe and grabbed for his blaster as he went down, and came up with it pointed squarely at one of the soldiers. He froze when she tapped the barrel on the back of his helmet. At this range, not even durasteel would stop a blaster bolt. "Drop it, or I'll shoot."

The other soldier laughed, casually swinging his rifle towards her. "Seriously, little girl? Did you forget how to count?"

She smiled sweetly back at him. "No. I think two-on-two are pretty good odds, actually." He jerked upright, starting to turn, but it was too late. Corso swung his pipe two-handed, hard enough to crush the man's helmet. He dropped like a stone and his companion hastily let go of his blaster rifle. Corso scooped it up, checking the settings while Rian tried to decide what to do with the soldier. She had just raised her stolen blaster to shoot him when a voice rang out down the corridor.

"Hold on! We'll take care of him." She jerked the pistol around, seeing Corso do the same beside her, and swore under her breath. The first man approaching her was a blue-skinned Twi'lek - probably a Jedi, judging by his robes - but behind him were two annoyingly familiar Republic soldiers. Viggota and Jorgan both had their assault cannons pointed at her and Corso, and had matching glares on their faces. The Jedi made some complicated motion with his hands and the last Imperial soldier slumped to the ground.

"You're becoming quite a thorn, Captain," Viggota said, stopping a dozen feet away. "Weapons down, hands up. Now."

The Jedi looked at the two soldiers in surprise. "What's going on?"

The scowl on Jorgan's face deepened. "These two are prisoners of the Republic," he said, and Rian noted with a start of surprise that his lieutenant's slashes were gone. It seemed he had been demoted to Sergeant sometime since she had seen him last, and Viggota promoted in his place. She knew he was probably not happy about it, and wondered if she could use that to make him angry enough to make a mistake that would get her and Corso free.

"While I grant that they do seem quite dangerous, we could use allies right now," the Jedi said. "And they certainly seem to have no love for the Empire. Perhaps a compromise could be reached?"

"No way," the Cathar hissed. "I won't work with terrorists."

Rian gaped at him, completely unable to form words for a moment. "Excuse me, _what_?" she asked once she was able to get her voice working again.

Viggota favoured her with a hard look. "Don't pretend to be innocent." He turned to the Jedi. "She blew up a Republic research station and then killed half the squad that tried to arrest her. She's an Imp sympathizer, and she's being taken to Coruscant to stand trial before the Senate."

The Jedi held up a hand to forestall her when Rian opened her mouth to protest her innocence. "She certainly does not seem to be an Imperial sympathizer," he said, gesturing at the soldiers at her feet. "And I sense nothing but confusion from her. I don't believe she did what you say."

"We have a warrant for her arrest," Jorgan said stubbornly, though Viggota followed the Jedi's gesture thoughtfully.

"Records can be faked," Corso pointed out. Rian winced as the Cathar's cannon swung towards him, but the young man stood his ground.

"Look," she said quickly, drawing Jorgan's attention back to her. "I admit, I have a warrant out on me. But it's for stealing a crate of medical supplies on Corellia. I've never bombed a Republic research facility. Why would I do something like that? There's no profit in it for me."

She could tell Viggota was wavering. She had no idea where this phoney warrant had come from, but she would bet her ship it had something to do with Skavak. Another explosion rocked the _Esseles_ and she knew they had to get out of here sooner rather than later. She didn't know what was going on, but staying here didn't seem like a smart option. She turned to the Twi'lek, who was considerably chubbier than she expected a Jedi to be - not that she had ever met one, but she had always heard about their fighting prowess, and expected they would all be fit and muscular. "Master Jedi, you said you could use allies. What if we helped you now, as a gesture of good faith, and you could help us investigate this false warrant?"

The Jedi was watching her curiously, and she strove to keep her mind blank. She knew she would take the first opportunity to escape that was presented to her but if he knew that, he would never trust her. "Please," he finally said. "Call me Lomning. I have not yet earned the title of Master." She nodded in acknowledgement and he smiled at her. "I am willing to accept your offer if you are willing to fight with us."

Jorgan made a strangled noise but Viggota held up a hand to silence him. "We need all the help we can get right now." He dropped the barrel of his assault cannon towards the floor and straightened his shoulders. "We're being stalked by an Imperial battlecruiser. They're after one of our passengers and have us locked in a tractor beam. We need to get over there and disable it or they'll just keep pounding us."

Rian blinked at him and shared a long look with Corso. "Oh, and here I thought this would be a suicide mission or something," she said, shaking her head. "Well, I guess we'd better get moving, then." She reached down to unbuckle the Imperial officer's gun belt and wrapped it around her hips, cinching it as tight as she could and wishing it had more holes in it. "Unless you think we have time to find something more appropriate to wear while assaulting an Imperial battlecruiser?"

Lomning chuckled. "I think we may have a few moments to get you better equipped if you are going to be helping us. I don't believe these two will be requiring their armour," he said, gesturing down at the soldiers. "It may fit you, young man."

"Corso Riggs," he said, shifting his rifle to one hand and holding the other out towards the Jedi. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"A pleasure, Corso. And...?" Lomning looked over at Rian inquiringly.

"Captain Tsel'rianeen." She shook the Jedi's hand. His grip was firm, and she could feel calluses along his palm, presumably from the lightsaber that hung at his belt. He wasn't as soft as he looked. "I'll need to find something else. There's no way that stuff would fit me, even if I could move in it."

"There should be a storage locker near the brig," Viggota spoke up unexpectedly. "Your gear might be in it. Help me get these guys into cells, and I'll see if I can find it."

One of the soldiers, the one that Corso had hit, was dead, so they left him behind with Lomning and Corso. Viggota slung the officer over his shoulder while Rian and a glowering Jorgan carried the soldier between them. They dumped them unceremoniously in Rian's old cell and the Cathar thumbed the force field active again and called one of the ship's security team to let them know about the prisoners.

Viggota started opening compartments in the corridor walls while Jorgan watched Rian closely. Finally it seemed like he couldn't contain himself any more and straightened to attention. "Sir, permission to speak freely."

"Granted, Sergeant," Viggota said without looking at the Cathar. Jorgan bristled visibly at the title and Rian hid a grin. He was _definitely_ not happy about the demotion.

"I don't think this is a good idea. We have no idea if we can trust either of them. She's escaped multiple times, so we know she's resourceful. This may all be some elaborate ruse to get her another chance to escape."

"It could be," Viggota allowed. "I guess you'll just have to keep a close eye on her, won't you." Jorgan sputtered angrily but didn't respond. "Ah ha!" Viggota said, pulling a crate out of one of the storage lockers. It bore the Republic symbol and was stamped with the word "Evidence". Viggota cracked it open, heedless of the official-looking seal across the latch, and set it down in front of Rian. "I assume some of this is yours."

She peered into the crate, grinning to see her gear. It looked like everything was there, including her armoured jacket - though it was more like a vest now after the incident with the laser scalpel - and the blaster she had taken from the interrogator whose nose she had broken. She stripped off the hospital garb and started pulling on her trousers. Viggota watched her appreciatively, while Jorgan jerked his eyes away hastily, looking vaguely scandalized. She hid a grin. Men were notorious for turning their brains off at the sight of some skin. Maybe she could use that to her advantage. Her past as a dancer and a slave had taught her that her body could be just as much a weapon as her blaster. She would use everything at her disposal if she had to.

She shimmied into her jacket and zipped it up, then belted on both the Imperial and Republic blasters. She was ambidextrous, and could easily shoot with both hands though she generally only carried one. She didn't normally need the extra firepower but then again she wasn't usually storming Imperial battlecruisers either. "We should bring Corso's stuff too. He'd probably prefer his own gear to that Imp stuff."

Viggota nodded and signalled to Jorgan to shoulder the crate. He motioned for her to go first and she smirked at him but did as he asked. Corso grinned at her when she came around the corner. "Looking good, Captain."

"Thanks, Riggs." She sauntered up, starting to help unlatch his borrowed armour. "We found your gear too. I assume you'd rather wear that."

Corso nodded, fingers moving to help her. "I sure do appreciate that."

She grinned fondly at him. "No problem, Farm Boy." She could tell that their banter was irritating Jorgan, and she was okay with that. Lomning and Viggota seemed to find it amusing.

She helped Corso with his gear while the Cathar paced impatiently in front of the blast doors. She met Corso's eyes and grinned. They were both enjoying watching the trooper's discomfiture, especially since they knew he would have them back in cells given half a chance. Still, they didn't dawdle. Explosions still rocked the _Esseles_ periodically, and Rian could feel the occasional flutter in her stomach - something must have damaged the artificial gravity system. There was no way that a ship like this could stand up to an Imperial battlecruiser. The only reason that they weren't so much space junk was that the Imps hadn't found whatever they were looking for yet.

Corso nodded that he was ready, and Viggota reached for the door controls. "You're under my command from now on," he told them, meeting everyone's eyes and waiting for them to nod. "I expect my orders to be obeyed if this mission is going to succeed." Rian grimaced but nodded anyways. She hoped he knew what he was doing. He seemed very young.


	5. Chapter 5

Viggota thumbed the door open and they moved into the shuttle bay. If the Imps had been waiting for a shuttle to land it hadn't happened yet, and they were unopposed as they approached the nearest ship. Rian's hands flexed unconsciously. She ached with the need to feel the control yoke against her palms and see stars around her.

At the far end of the hangar, a magnetic shield protected them from the inky blackness of space. She could see the Imperial battlecruiser hanging in the middle distance. Powerful blaster rounds slashed through the darkness, and small fighter ships swarmed like bees around the larger vessels. They would need some fancy piloting to make it to the Imperial ship unharmed. A hard nudge in the middle of her back made her stumble, and she turned to glare at Jorgan. "Keep moving," he snarled. "And don't forget that you volunteered for this."

She rolled her eyes at him but picked up the pace. Ahead of her, Lomning and Corso had already ducked into the shuttle. Viggota was watching her and Jorgan, but she couldn't read his face. "I assume you can fly this thing," he said to her and she nodded. "You're my co-pilot, then." He ignored Jorgan's hiss of indrawn breath. "Sergeant, you're leading the boarding assault. See to the other passengers." The Cathar stiffened to attention and nodded curtly, following Corso and Lomning to the double row of seats behind the pilot's chair.

Viggota gestured for her to precede him and she slipped into the co-pilot's chair with a sigh of contentment. It wasn't her ship, but it still felt good. She started the pre-flight checks while he closed the hatch and stowed his weapon in the back. "Ready?" he asked her, buckling himself in beside her.

"When you are," she replied, sharing a feral grin with him as he wrapped his hands around the controls. The ship shuddered lightly as the repulsorlift engines fired up, then drifted slowly through the force field and out into space.

Rian's heart leapt and she nearly reached for the controls. She practically had to sit on her hands to let Viggota pilot the shuttle and leaned forward to check the displays instead. They worked well together, she thought vaguely at one point as she called out headings and warnings and he swooped out of the reach of the Imperial fighters.

"Brace for landing," he called back into the cabin as he aimed the shuttle at the Imperial hangar. She gripped the edges of her seat but while they came in fast they were still in control and the landing wasn't too bad.

"Jorgan, go!" Viggota shouted, yanking his harness free and standing. The Cathar had the back hatch open and was out of the shuttle before Rian had finished unbuckling herself. She joined Corso and they exited together. She ducked around the edge of the ramp and crouched down to survey the hangar.

The Imperials seemed to use a different method of manufacturing their durasteel, because the walls and floor of the hangar were a darker grey than she was used to. Piles of supply crates dotted the cavernous room and a pair of small shuttles sat off to one side with some of their side panels off and a scatter of tools around them. They clearly weren't spaceworthy, and that must be why the room was empty. There was no sense in scrambling for malfunctioning shuttles while there were a hundred other jobs that needed doing during a battle. A ramp led up to a walkway and a control room that overlooked the hangar, but it appeared to be empty as well. The main doors were a short sprint away, and while they were closed they weren't guarded - from this side, at least.

"I'll get the doors," Corso volunteered, and Viggota nodded, though the trooper looked surprised. Rian wasn't. Corso had wanted to help anyways, and she knew the kid didn't lack for guts. She watched him cross to the door controls and she dropped to one knee, drawing her blasters and aiming them at the door.

The troops on the other side of the door had been waiting for them. Blaster fire strafed the hangar and Rian had to throw herself flat to avoid the initial volley. Jorgan's shield took a direct hit but the Cathar just snarled and swung his cannon up. The Imperials scrambled for cover but Jorgan was using explosive rounds, not blaster bolts. When the smoke cleared, none of the mangled bodies moved.

"Let's go," Viggota said, ignoring the carnage in the hallway. He took point, with Corso right behind him. Lomning fell in beside Rian, stepping carefully around the twisted bodies and scorched durasteel. Jorgan brought up the rear, and Rian could practically feel his cannon targeting her.

The hallway branched and Viggota pointed to the right. The small group followed him silently and she wondered how he knew where to go. Presumably the Republic had schematics of enemy vessels. He had probably studied it before he left the _Esseles_.

"I can sense life ahead of us," Lomning said. His eyes were far away and his voice dreamy. "Around the next corner, to the left. They appear to be ready for us."

Viggota paused, surveying the hallway. There wasn't any cover. "All right. Everyone get ready." He inched up to the corner and pulled a grenade from his belt. Corso and Jorgan moved to stand next to him, while Rian pressed her back against the opposite wall and slid down into a crouch with her blasters out and ready. Lomning stayed in the middle of the hallway, one hand held low in front of him and the other making a slow circle at his eye level. Rian saw a nearly-invisible shimmer around him and he nodded his readiness. Viggota took one quick look around at all of them, and then charged around the corner.

His shield absorbed the first volley of shots as he threw the grenade, and then the battle devolved into a confused tangle of shouting and blaster fire. Rian leaned around the corner, pistols spitting bolts at the Imperial troops crouched behind their barricades at the end of the hall. Corso, Viggota, and Jorgan were lined up across the hallway, rattling the Imperials' shields with their blasters. Lomning was peeling wall panels free and hurling them at the enemy troops, making them duck behind their barricades.

Rian heard the crack-fizzle of a shield failing under the assault and Jorgan grunted like he'd been punched in the gut. He went down hard to one knee and she could see a jagged tear along the side of his chest piece. Corso shifted to cover him with his own shield but the Cathar was trying to shove the kid aside so he could lift his assault cannon up again. Rian scowled as Corso was nearly hit by the next volley and she leapt for the cat before he could endanger Corso again. She shoved his shoulder hard with hers, toppling him over and crouching above him. Her smaller weapons were more maneuverable and she was easily able to shoot around Corso's shield.

"Get off me!" Jorgan shouted, pushing at her. Thankfully, the shot he had taken had sapped his strength enough that she was able to drop one of her blasters and push him back down.

"Stay down, you idiot! Are you trying to get us killed?" She gripped the top edge of his chest plate and pushed his face back down against the floor. "And stop squirming. You're making this way more difficult than it needs to be." He bucked under her and she missed her target. "Stupid son of a ronto! Stay still!" Her next shot caught the officer in the side of the head and he collapsed.

"Sergeant!" Viggota snapped, slamming a new power pack into his assault cannon and firing a powerful blast down the hall that shredded the armour of one of the last few soldiers. "Stay down!" The Cathar snarled under her but mercifully stopped moving. Rian took the opportunity to hit the second officer between the eyes when he popped his head out from behind the barrier and Lomning shoved the last soldier over backwards with such force that he rolled a few feet down the hallway. Corso's rifle blast caught him as he lay stunned on the ground and he jerked and stopped moving.

Rian kept her blaster trained down the hall but Lomning touched her shoulder gently. "They're all dead. Stand down." He looked a little shaky, though he didn't look injured. She supposed that being able to sense people dying - even if they were Imps - couldn't be a lot of fun.

"Get off me," Jorgan snarled again, though there was less force in it than she expected. She grabbed her other blaster and climbed to her feet, but the Cathar's arm shook when he tried to push himself up. Blood seeped bright and fast through the rent in his armour.

"He's hurt," she said, tucking her blasters away and reaching to lay him down again. Lomning was faster, grasping Jorgan's shoulders and rolling him carefully onto his back. The Cathar was breathing fast and hard, angular face pinched with pain though he didn't make a sound as the Jedi probed cautiously at the wound.

"I can help," Lomning said, placing a hand carefully in the centre of Jorgan's chest plate. The Cathar nodded, and the Jedi closed his eyes. A warm golden light burst from his skin and swirled around the two of them. Jorgan's back arched and his sharp teeth dug into his bottom lip but then he slumped suddenly back against the durasteel floor. The trickle of blood slowed and stopped. Lomning opened his eyes and smiled. "Better?"

Jorgan sat up slowly, wincing like he was expecting pain and looking surprised when he didn't feel it. "Yeah," he said, accepting Lomning's hand up. "Thanks."

"You okay?" Rian asked Corso quietly. She watched Jorgan out of the corner of her eye, but the Cathar was pointedly ignoring her.

Corso nodded. "Yeah, thanks. And hey, nice shooting." He gave her a grin, bumping his shoulder lightly against hers.

She chuckled and bumped back, quite ineffectively since he was in full armour. "Thanks. You're not too shabby yourself." They shared a grin as Lomning checked them over to make sure they were all right, then Viggota motioned for them to keep moving.

The next intersection was clear, and Viggota pointed down the hallway to his right. "Engineering is this way. Secondary tractor beam controls will be in there."

"And I'm sure they'll just let us saunter in," Rian sighed, checking her blasters. "Ready when you are, boss," she said, throwing a casual salute in Viggota's direction. Jorgan growled behind her but she ignored him.

Viggota pulled a grenade off his belt and tossed it to her. "We're not going to give them a choice. See if you can get around them and stick this in the main console. That'll cause some chaos."

Rian grinned, tucking the grenade into the pocket of her trousers. "I like the way you think, Vig."

They ran into another Imperial patrol outside of Engineering, but the Imps were facing the other direction and never saw them coming. Lomning jammed a spear of Force in between them, sending the four of them flying apart to slam into the walls of the corridor. They slumped to the ground, dazed, and Viggota and Jorgan quickly made sure of them with sharp blows to the backs of their heads. The whole fight was over in seconds, and had been nearly silent.

Jorgan was at the door controls, waiting for Viggota's signal. The lieutenant checked to make sure everyone was ready, then raised his assault cannon and nodded to his sergeant. The Cathar hit the controls and the blast doors slid open. Viggota launched a grenade into the room and followed it up with a flurry of shots. Rian heard a scream of pain as she used the confusion to slip unnoticed through the doorway.

Most of the engineers were unarmoured, through they all carried blasters. It seemed like the chief engineer had been killed in Viggota's initial assault and a couple of junior officers were shouting contradicting information as they tried to rally the rest of the Imperials. Rian ducked behind a console and pulled the grenade out of her pocket. The main computer terminal was only a few feet away.

She risked a quick peek out from behind the console and then darted across the small space. She knelt beside the computer and pried one of the side panels off. She armed the grenade and stuffed it inside, then hurried to put as much distance as possible between her and the weapon.

As she ran for cover, she heard a shout and her right leg suddenly buckled under her. She grunted as she hit the ground, tucking her arms over her head and using her momentum to roll behind another computer station. A blaster burn gouged deep into the outside of her thigh and she bit her lip hard against the pain. She heard footsteps coming towards her and was reaching for her blasters when the grenade went off.

The explosion was deafening, and she jerked her arms up to protect her head as shrapnel from the computer terminal rained down on her. She hissed as a few of the sharp fragments imbedded themselves in her skin but she was mostly protected from the blast by the console she was crouched behind.

Whoever had been coming after her wasn't so lucky. When Rian stood up, she could see what was left of the man, and it wasn't pretty. The battle seemed to be winding down. Jorgan was stalking an engineer who had taken cover behind one of the consoles, and Corso had just finished off the last young officer. As she watched, Jorgan found a clear shot and the last Imperial staggered and fell.

She limped slowly out from behind the console, checking the bodies to make sure no one was feigning death but the others had been thorough. Corso saw her limping and hurried to her side. "Captain, you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. I took a shot, but it's pretty well cauterized," she said, and Corso quickly tucked a hand under her elbow.

"That's not 'okay', Captain," he said, frowning at her. "'Okay' is if they miss."

She laughed, holstering her blasters and patting his arm. "'Okay' is if you're still upright and fighting, Farm Boy." He frowned again and she patted his cheek. "You're cute, kid," she said, grinning when he blushed.

"Do you really think this is an appropriate time or place to flirt?" Jorgan asked disapprovingly. Corso started to stammer a denial, a dark blush creeping slowly across his cheeks. Rian swiped her thumb across his cheekbone then turned to Jorgan.

"You think _that's_ flirting?" Rian arched an eyebrow, looking him up and down and then smirking faintly. "You don't get laid much, do you?" Corso made a choked noise like he had just about swallowed his tongue. She grinned and limped off, leaving the Cathar sputtering behind her.

Lomning was hiding a grin as he approached her. "May I help you, Captain?" he asked, gesturing to her leg. "We may need to move quickly." She grinned back and him and nodded, and he drew a hand up in front of his face, one finger extended upwards. His eyes closed and he inscribed a slow circle in the air. Golden light coalesced around his hand and then flowed across into her.

It was warm, like laying in the sun on a perfect summer day. She felt a sense of peace flow through her, and muscles she didn't even realize were tense relaxed. She blinked her eyes open to find Lomning watching her curiously. "That... wow. I feel great, thanks!" She looked down at the scorched hole in her pants. The blaster burn was completely healed. There was barely even a scar.

The Jedi bowed, but Viggota called them over before he could say anything. He was hunched over one of the secondary consoles. "They've got a security lock on here," he said. "Anyone got a spike?"

Rian shook her head at him. "You didn't think to bring one?"

"I didn't think they'd have their internal systems locked." Viggota grunted in frustration, rubbing a big hand over his shaved head. "Blast it! We need into this terminal."

Corso coughed, looking embarrassed. "I... uh... could have a try at it."

Rian grinned widely at him. "A man of many talents! There might be a space for you on the _Event Horizon_ , when we get her back." She ignored the suspicious scowl that Jorgan was giving them and leaned around Corso's shoulder to watch him work. She had sliced into a system or two in her time, but it wasn't her strength. She was far better with her blasters. Corso clearly knew what he was doing, and though it took him a few minutes he eventually whooped in triumph.

Viggota looked up from where he had stationed himself by the blast doors. Rian couldn't figure out whey they hadn't been interrupted yet. Surely the Imps knew they were there, and Engineering was kind of an important part of the ship. Not that she was complaining, it just worried her. The lieutenant left Jorgan by the door and crossed the room to Corso's side. "Good work. Can you access the tractor beam controls?"

"Yeah, right here." Corso tapped out a series of commands and Viggota nodded approvingly.

"Cut the power, and see what you can do to keep them from reactivating it as soon as we leave."

"We've got incoming," Jorgan warned, swinging the barrel of his blaster up.

Viggota caught Rian's eyes and gestured her and Lomning towards the door. "Hold them off until we're finished here. Then we need to clear a path back to the shuttle bay." Rian tossed him another casual salute and found some cover near the door. She drew both of her blasters and braced herself as Jorgan signalled for them to get ready.

The Cathar took the first shot, the retort of his cannon echoing in the enclosed space. Rian couldn't see what he was shooting at from this angle, but she didn't see any cover closer to the door. Watching blaster bolts skim off Jorgan's armour, she didn't exactly want to get any closer either. "Pull back," she called to him. "Bring them right in between us." He looked over at her with his brows raised as if he was surprised that she had any knowledge of tactics. "I'm not an idiot, Jorgan," she spat at him. "Just because I don't have a fancy Spec Ops badge doesn't mean I don't know what I'm doing."

The Cathar's face darkened angrily and Lomning held up a hand before either of them could say anything else. "This is not the time. Sergeant Jorgan, I believe Captain Tsel'rianeen has a good suggestion. Captain, please stop taunting your allies."

Rian lowered her gaze, feeling her face heat up. Though Lomning's tone had been mild, the rebuke was unmistakeable. She muttered an apology and shifted uncomfortably as she listened to the sound of footsteps approaching cautiously outside.

"Got it," Corso hissed suddenly from behind her, and then he was crouched next to her. "We're ready to move."

She grinned over at him. "Good work, kid. And I meant it," she said, lowering her voice. "I get my ship back, and you've got a spot on her. I promise."

He blushed and grinned shyly back at her. "I just might have to take you up on that, Captain."

She was about to respond when a metallic clatter brought her head up suddenly. That had sounded like... "Grenade!" she shouted, grabbing Corso's arm and hauling him down next to her. The kid rolled as he went down, ending up braced half over her. She didn't much like the feeling of being pinned down, but she knew his armour was tougher than hers and she curled herself into a ball under him.

The shock wave hit her like a blow, leaving her ears ringing, but she didn't feel any sharp pain that would have indicated an injury. "You all right?" she shouted up at Corso.

"I think so," he hollered back and levered himself up to look around. Lomning was holding a Force shield across the door, face intent as a pair of war droids and half a squad of soldiers hammered at it. Jorgan was leaning over his lieutenant, who seemed to have taken the brunt of the explosion and was half-reclining against the far wall. "Go!" Corso pointed to the two soldiers. "I'll help Lomning. See if there's another way out of here."

Rian nodded, holstering her weapons and racing over to Viggota and Jorgan. She skidded to her knees beside the lieutenant. "Is he all right?" she asked Jorgan. Viggota's eyes were open but he looked dazed.

"I'm not sure. He was trying to shield Lomning from that grenade. His shield generator went out and he hit the wall pretty hard." The Cathar cast a glance over his shoulder. Lomning was still holding his own, and Corso was working frantically at the door controls. Jorgan looked down at her and suddenly she realized that with Viggota down, the Cathar was in charge. The Cathar who thought she was a terrorist and probably wanted to volunteer for her firing squad. He seemed to realize it too, and the smile that spread across his face was all teeth.

"I'm going to see if there's another way out," she said, scrambling hastily to her feet. She wasn't fast enough, and Jorgan's gauntleted hand clamped around her wrist.

"So you can leave us behind?" he hissed at her. She tried to break free but his grip was like iron. She went for her blaster but his other fist cracked across her face. The room spun around her. She staggered back, tasting blood. "Nice try." Jorgan's voice seemed to be coming from far away, but the click of the stuncuffs closing around her wrists was very loud.

"Let me go!" she shrieked as he bent over her to relieve her of her weapons. The feel of the cold metal around her wrists shocked her into action. She scrambled backwards away from him and he grabbed for her cuffs.

"I'd really rather take you to Coruscant to stand trial," he said, hauling her upright. Her head spun and she nearly fell.

"What are you doing?" Corso shouted. She heard the boom of the blast doors closing - he must have managed to get the controls working.

Jorgan swung her blaster pistol towards Corso, then reconsidered and pressed it to Rian's temple. "You seem very fond of your terrorist friend," he said to the young man. "She'll be safe as long as you cooperate."

"Sergeant," Lomning said, his voice soft but intent. "I don't believe this is the wisest course of action right now. We must return to the _Esseles_ as soon as possible."

"And we will," the Cathar said. "And these two will go back to the brig where they belong." He waved the pistol at Corso, then pointed to Viggota. "Get him up. There should be an emergency exit over there." He gestured for Corso to precede him towards the back of the Engineering section.

Lomning frowned as he approached the Cathar. "I don't believe your lieutenant would agree with this."

"He's not in any state to make that decision right now," Jorgan said, watching Corso haul Viggota bodily to his feet. The lieutenant was able to walk - sort of - but he was clearly still woozy. "And you said yourself that you're no good with head wounds." He shook Rian's cuffs, rattling her head on her neck. "She was going to leave us here. I'm in charge. Now get moving."

The Jedi offered Rian an apologetic look but when the droids outside started cutting through the blast doors he hurried after Corso. Jorgan gave her a shove and she stumbled and fell to her knees. The blow to her head and her ringing ears combined to completely mess up her balance. The Cathar snarled, shoving her again. "Get up. I won't leave you here for your Imp friends, if that's what you're hoping."

She swore at him in Mando'a as she tried to push herself up on wobbly legs. It was a great language to swear in. The Mandalorians were deliciously creative. "Don't take your demotion out on me, _Sergeant_."

She seemed to have hit a nerve. Jorgan hissed angrily at her, hauling her to her feet again and shoving her towards the back of the room. She stumbled into one of the consoles, grunting as she caught the point of her hip on the corner. She grabbed hastily at it and just managed to keep herself upright. "Keep moving, or I _will_ shoot you and leave your body behind."

"Maybe you shouldn't have given me a concussion if you wanted me to be able to walk in a straight line," she grumbled, shaking her head to try to clear it. It was a bad idea, and blackness crept around the edges of her vision. She thought she might vomit, and wondered if her aim was good enough to hit Jorgan with it.

The Cathar advanced on her, blaster pistol raised. _Great,_ she thought. _I'm about to be killed with my own gun. That's just unfair._

But then Lomning was there, pushing in between her and Jorgan and poking a finger hard at the Cathar's chest plate. "That is quite enough! She is now under _my_ protection, Sergeant. I don't care what it is you think she may have done, but this is an unacceptable way to treat a Republic citizen!"

Jorgan reared backwards in surprise and blinked a couple of times. Rian let her eyes drift partway closed and steadied her bound hands against the console. The room still swam around her and her thoughts were slow and fuzzy. Lomning's hand curled under her elbow and she leaned against him gratefully. She could feel the peaceful warmth flow through her again and the ringing in her ears subsided, though her brain still felt like it was wrapped in thick cotton. She lifted her hands and rubbed her temples.

"Sorry," Lomning murmured from beside here. "I can't do much about that right now. The brain is incredibly delicate, and an Imperial ship filled with soldiers trying to kill us is not the best place to try to work on it. Can you walk?"

"I can try," she replied, gritting her teeth and deliberately turning her back on Jorgan. It was easier with Lomning's help. His hand under her elbow helped to keep her from running in to things, and just his presence was incredibly calming.

Corso had found the emergency exit, a narrow tunnel that led to the maintenance corridors. He had pried the wall panel open and was maneuvering Viggota inside. He was also swearing profusely. The tunnel wasn't built for two large men in heavy armour, especially when one of them couldn't walk on his own. Lomning edged her inside after them, and Jorgan pulled the panel closed behind him when he followed.

"Left," the Cathar said curtly, motioning for Lomning and Rian to go first. Corso wrapped Viggota's arm around his shoulders and steered the soldier after them. Jorgan brought up the rear, blaster at the ready. "Through the first intersection; turn right at the second."

As they walked, Rian felt the pounding of her head slowly receding. She slanted a look at Lomning, but he deliberately refused to meet her eyes. His grip on her elbow was warm and comforting, and it seemed that he was trying to help heal her despite what he had said in Engineering. He appeared to be on her side, which was immensely comforting. She let herself stumble a pace or two to keep Jorgan from realizing that she was much more alert now. Lomning's lips twitched in a grin at her ruse.

The Jedi tugged on her elbow to turn her to the right at the second intersection. The corridor ahead of them was short, only a few feet, and ended with a sturdy door. "What next, Sergeant?" Lomning called back. The Cathar pushed his way forward and Corso took the opportunity to brace Viggota against the wall to give his arms a rest.

Rian slumped against Viggota and Corso looked down at her in concern. "I'm all right," she murmured as quietly as she could. She knew Cathar had good hearing, so she didn't want to say too much. The young man gave her a tight smile and she patted his arm clumsily with her bound hands when she saw Jorgan watching them out of the corner of her eye.

Apparently satisfied that she wasn't a danger, he turned back to Lomning. "We're near the shuttle bay. Through this door and left down the corridor, then take your first left. The doors are on the right."

The Jedi nodded and reached out to help Rian upright again. "I hope you know what you're doing, Sergeant."

"I'm defending the Republic," the Cathar said, tucking Rian's blaster into his belt and swinging his assault cannon around in front of him. He reached for the door controls and led the way out into the hallway.


	6. Chapter 6

It seemed that the Empire's internal sensors left much to be desired. The hallway was empty, and Jorgan waved for Lomning and Rian to lead the way. He brought up the rear again, ears flicking as he listened for any sounds of pursuit. Rian frowned when they turned the corner. The doors to the hangar were unguarded. There was no way the Imperials were this dumb.

"This feels like a trap," Lomning said, voicing her thoughts.

"Do we have another option?" the Cathar asked from behind them. He had a point. Rian's first instinct would have been to find a different hangar and appropriate an Imperial shuttle, but she didn't think any of her suggestions would go over well right now. And she definitely didn't want to let Jorgan know that Lomning had managed to get rid of most of her dizziness. But it still felt like a suicide mission as they approached the doors.

Lomning reached out for the door controls and then recoiled so sharply that Rian almost fell. "Sith," he muttered. "There's a Sith in there. Waiting for us."

"No wonder they just let us walk away," Corso muttered, shifting Viggota with a grunt. "They're probably watching the video feeds and laughing right now."

Jorgan snarled and shook his head. "We're too close. We're not stopping now. Lomning, this is your fight. What do you need?"

The Jedi rubbed a hand over his face, then held it out cautiously towards the door. "Keep him as busy as you can. I don't expect you'll be able to hit him, but every blaster bolt he must deflect or grenade he must avoid will sap his strength." He frowned over at Jorgan. "An extra pair of guns would be very useful."

The Cathar snorted and shook his head. "I know Jedi are crazy, but even _you_ can't expect me to uncuff her."

"No, I suppose not." Lomning sighed and shook his head. "I suppose you won't let us leave them hidden back in the tunnels while we face this Sith?"

"No way. We may need to make a run for the shuttle and can't waste time going back for them." He glowered at Rian. "And I can't risk her getting back to the Imps."

The Jedi favoured the Cathar with a long look but he sighed as if he knew that arguing was pointless. He turned to Rian. "I will need my full concentration. I will try to find you somewhere safe to wait," he said. She blinked blearily up at him and nodded slowly, aware that Jorgan was watching her closely.

"Are we ready, then?" Jorgan asked impatiently.

Lomning paused and Rian could practically feel him centering himself. "I suppose there is no point in delaying further. He will be ready for us." The Cathar nodded, then reached out and hit the door controls. There was a faint hiss and then the heavy doors rumbled open.

Without Lomning's supportive hand on her elbow, Rian wasn't sure she could have made herself walk into a Sith ambush. She certainly didn't consider herself a coward, but there was just something incredibly creepy about those bastards. It didn't help that they were damned near impossible to kill with a blaster, given how well their lightsabers worked to deflect blaster bolts. Give her a good firefight any day over this mystical crap.

The Sith wasn't visible yet. Rian imagined he was waiting right at the foot of their shuttle's ramp. It would be more dramatic that way. She jerked her head towards a scatter of crates to the right of the door and Lomning nodded. "Sergeant, perhaps we could leave the wounded there?" he suggested, gesturing towards the pile. It was about halfway between the doors and the shuttle.

Jorgan surveyed the crates with a critical eye and shrugged. "It'll do, I guess. We don't have a lot of options." He waved Corso over and helped him to settle Viggota with his back braced against the pile. Viggota looked around in confusion but didn't say anything. Lomning ushered Rian over and she made sure to collapse woozily beside the lieutenant. The Cathar turned and walked over to Corso - presumably to threaten him or something, Rian thought nastily - as Lomning bent to arrange her in a more comfortable position. His hands wrapped around the stuncuffs on her wrists and she heard the faintest click of the lock mechanism disengaging. The Jedi flashed her a grin but said nothing.

Staying still until Jorgan was out of sight was hard, but as soon as she couldn't see him any more she twisted her wrists and the cuffs came apart. She shed them in relief, setting them down carefully beside Viggota so they wouldn't clank on the durasteel decking. She slipped the blaster pistol out of Viggota's thigh sheath, glad that Jorgan had left the lieutenant his weapons. Though she supposed that since he was already carrying his pistol and assault cannon along with Rian's two blasters, he must be running out of space to put them all.

She rolled her head carefully on her neck and stretched her arms. The pain had receded to a dull throbbing at the base of her skull. She wasn't sure she'd be up for any really fancy shooting, but she could definitely hit what she was aiming at now. Probably. Most of the time.

"Stay safe, Vig," she murmured to the barely-conscious soldier before creeping slowly out from behind the crates. Her soft boots didn't make a sound on the durasteel floor. She could hear voices to her left, Lomning's calm baritone and Jorgan's irritated rumble. There was a sharp, unfamiliar laugh and a shiver went down her spine. That must be the Sith.

The ramp to the control room was behind her and to the right. She cast a quick glance up it. She would be exposed while climbing, but there was good cover at the first landing. And the control room still looked deserted, so she wouldn't have to worry about anyone sneaking up behind her. She crouched low and darted across the room to the base of the ramp. She couldn't see the confrontation with the Sith from this angle, but it sounded like they were still talking. She wasn't sure if Lomning was trying to delay to let her get into position or if the Sith was waiting for reinforcements arrive but she didn't like it either way. They needed to get off this ship, and fast.

She scampered up the ramp, staying low, and crawled into cover behind a computer terminal. She stretched out on her stomach so she could brace her arms against the walkway. The durasteel was cold underneath her, but she could finally see what was going on.

Lomning stood opposite a robed and hooded figure. Everything the Sith was wearing was grey or black, lending him a sinister air. She couldn't see his face. Corso and Jorgan were a dozen feet behind Lomning, one on each side of him, their weapons aimed and ready. Neither the Jedi nor the Sith had their lightsabers out at the moment. They were still talking.

Rian adjusted her grip on Viggota's blaster, checking the charge, and then peered down through the sights at the Sith's head. She wasn't sure what Lomning was waiting for, but she was more than willing to take the first shot. She squeezed the trigger, and the echo bounced around the hangar.

Corso and Jorgan both panicked, diving for cover and looking around for the shooter. Lomning barely twitched. The Sith moved faster than she thought possible. His lightsaber was in his hand before the shot even reached him. The glowing red blade hummed to life and he flicked the bolt away almost casually.

She swore to herself as he lifted a hand towards Lomning and she fired off another quick pulse of bolts. The Sith deflected them contemptuously, most of his focus on the Jedi in front of him. His sleeve fell back from a pale wrist, and red energy crackled around his fingertips. He flung a handful of lightning at Lomning, who blocked it with a Force shield, and the battle was joined.

Lomning's lightsaber appeared in his hand as if by magic, the golden blade glowing brightly as he used it to catch and deflect the Sith's lightning. Corso and Jorgan shook off their surprise and started hammering the Sith with blaster bolts. Their larger weapons had a bigger kick than hers, but she had a better angle for surprising the man, making him defend on two fronts. He managed to keep up, dancing a graceful arc to avoid their shots and whatever it was Lomning was doing, until Jorgan lobbed a grenade.

The Sith deflected it easily, but Jorgan must have shortened the fuse on it because it exploded almost immediately. He staggered, buffeted by the shock wave, though his shields appeared to have saved him from serious injury. Corso pressed the advantage, hammering him hard with a half-dozen shots. Lomning stepped forward, lifting a hand and flinging it forward. A barrel of fighter fuel flew towards the Sith. Rian quickly switched targets and the barrel exploded in a satisfying fireball.

Lightning burst through the fire, sweeping it away. The Sith was truly angry now. He abandoned his careful defence and took two running steps before leaping through the air. His lightsaber clashed against Lomning's hastily-raised blade with a shower of sparks. Rian cursed. Her aim wasn't nearly steady enough to be completely certain of hitting the Sith and not Lomning from this distance.

She scrambled down the ramp, hearing the hiss-crack of the lightsaber duel echoing through the hangar. She skidded around the stack of crates that concealed Viggota and dropped to one knee. Her shot missed both combatants as the Sith surged forward, forcing Lomning back a step.

Jorgan was shouting at her now. She saw his cannon swing around towards her and dove to the side. A blaster bolt skimmed off the durasteel behind her but she kept her attention focused on the fight. The Sith was a better duellist than Lomning, and was forcing the Jedi back one slow step at a time. She raised her pistol and rattled off another hail of bolts. Most of them missed or were deflected, but one scored across the Sith's thigh, making him stumble. Lomning pressed forward, knocking the other man's lightsaber aside and flinging him backwards with a thrust of Force.

"Rian! Duck!" Corso yelled and she threw herself flat. Another blaster bolt tore through the air where she had been standing and she hit the ground with a grunt. The pain at the base of her skull threatened to expand into blackness again and she breathed out hard through her nose, gritting her teeth. The Sith was making his way towards Lomning again, dodging aside as the Jedi flung debris at him. She took advantage of his distraction to hit him again. Her shot scored a line across his shoulder but he kept coming.

"Jorgan!" There was a scuffle off to her left and she looked over to see Corso grappling with the Cathar. He had a hold of the assault cannon and yanked the barrel away from Rian. "She's not the enemy! He is!" He shoved the gun around towards the Sith. Jorgan took one hand off the weapon and punched Corso in the face. The young man went down in a surprised heap and Jorgan swung his assault cannon towards her again.

Movement out of the corner of her eye drew her attention from one threat to another. The Sith had gotten through Lomning's defences and the Jedi was writhing on the ground under a cage of lightning. The man grinned viciously at Rian from under his hood. His face was nearly as pale as the grey of his robes and his eyes burned red. He flung a bolt of lightning at her and she dove for cover behind a cargo crane. She jarred her shoulder against the ground as she rolled and nearly lost her blaster.

She came up to one knee to see that the Sith was now targeting Jorgan. The Cathar noticed just in time to dodge the first bolt of lightning but he looked up in horror to see the Sith leaping through the air at him, lightsaber extended. That blade would cut through his armour like it wasn't even there. He tried to bring his cannon up but she could see he wasn't going to be fast enough.

Rian gripped the blaster in both hands and braced her shoulder against the crane to steady her aim. She squeezed the trigger hard and the pistol jerked against her palms as the bolt flew across the hangar. It skimmed off the side of the Sith's head, splitting his hood apart and knocking him sideways. His momentum carried him through his leap but his lightsaber missed Jorgan by a hand's breadth. The Cathar scrambled backwards, putting as much distance as he could between himself and the angry force-user.

The Sith turned to her with a roar, an angry red burn scoring the side of his shaved and tattooed head. She had made him angry. Hopefully it would also make him stupid. She flung herself forward under another blast of lightning and fired at him again. He deflected it to the side and raised his lightsaber to charge at her. She levelled her pistol at his face and gritted her teeth, waiting for him to commit to the charge and hoping she could get out of the way in time.

He had taken a single step towards her when the most peculiar look crossed his face. Confusion first, then pain and anger, and then the gold glow of Lomning's lightsaber burst through his chest from behind. The Sith collapsed in a heap as the Jedi retracted his blade. His red lightsaber went out with a hiss and the hilt clattered across the hangar floor

Lomning uncoiled from his lunge, looking a little worse for wear. His robes were slightly singed and a dark bruise was blossoming across one cheekbone, but he bowed slightly to her, breathing hard. "Well done, Captain."

Jorgan swung around to look at her, then snarled at Lomning. "You let her go!"

"I told you we could use an extra gun," the Jedi said, flicking his lightsaber off and clipping it back to his belt. He surveyed the dead Sith at his feet sadly and gave him a respectful bow.

Corso pushed himself up groggily, blood streaming down his face from a broken nose. Rian wanted to go and help him up but Jorgan was advancing on her again, eyes dangerous. "How many times do I have to put cuffs on you?" he snarled.

She'd had enough. She pushed herself to her feet, meeting his glare with blazing eyes. "How many times do I have to save your life before you believe I'm not your enemy?"

"My duty is to take you to Coruscant to stand trial!" the Cathar roared. He was nearly close enough to grab her again but instead of backing away, she pushed boldly into his space and slammed her palm hard against his scuffed chest plate.

"Fuck your _duty_ ," she spat at him. "You've endangered lives because you can't take your head out of your ass long enough to see that you could use my help!" She shoved him aside and he was so surprised that he let her do it. She holstered her pistol, mad enough that she didn't care that she was leaving a dangerous enemy at her back. She joined Lomning beside Corso and dropped to a knee. The Jedi was already working on Corso's broken nose. "All right, Farm Boy?"

The kid grinned crookedly at her and wiped blood off his face. "Stars, Captain. That was hot." He suddenly realized he'd said it out loud and blushed crimson to the tips of his ears.

She laughed and leaned over to kiss his cheek, his skin hot under her lips. "Glad you approve, Riggs." She stood and offered him a hand, hauling him to his feet. "We've got to get moving. Can you grab Vig?" Corso nodded, and she could see his hand twitch like he was about to salute her. He had told her on Ord Mantell that he had wanted to join the military but she thought he might actually have been a soldier at some point. She winked at him and offered Lomning a hand up as well. "You okay?"

"I will be fine," the Jedi told her. His smile was approving. "And you?"

"I think I'll survive," she told him, clasping his hand tightly and lowering her voice. "Thanks. I owe you one."

"I think we are more than square, Captain," he replied with another small bow and a smile.

She turned to check on how Corso was managing, ignoring the furious Cathar behind her, and waved Lomning to the shuttle. "Get in. We need to get out of here before they send reinforcements." The Jedi cycled the door open and disappeared inside. Rian hurried to help Corso with Viggota. She noticed that Corso had left Jorgan's stuncuffs behind.

They got Viggota strapped in to the back and Rian was halfway through the launch routine before Jorgan climbed aboard the shuttle and banged the hatch closed. She could hear him muttering under his breath but she couldn't make out any of the words. Corso slipped into the co-pilot's seat beside her and she grinned at him as she wrapped her hands around the control yoke. The ship hummed under her hands and she caught her breath. She was flying again, and _stars_ did it feel good.


	7. Chapter 7

The flight back to the _Esseles_ was less harrowing than the flight out. Most of the fighters were gone, either drifting dead in space or back in their hangars as the _Esseles_ started to back away from the battlecruiser now that the tractor beam was disengaged. She did still have to dodge a few blaster bolts, but the shuttle was maneuverable enough that it wasn't much trouble. Corso was a surprisingly good co-pilot for a kid who she thought had grown up dirt-side.

"Where'd you learn to fly, Farm Boy?" she asked as she lined the shuttle up with the hangar.

"Military Academy," he said, which didn't really surprise her. "I wanted to help people, but I wasn't big on book learning." He leaned back in his chair as the ship slid safely past the magnetic shield. "I was there a couple of years. I learned a bunch of stuff. Flying, shooting, fighting. But then the Seps..." he trailed off with a shrug. "So I came home."

She cut the repulsor engines, settling the shuttle down with barely a bump. There was definitely stuff there that he wasn't telling her, but it wasn't really any of her business. "I guess it turned out to be pretty useful," she said instead of the questions she wanted to ask. She unclipped her harness and stood, then paused, making a face. "Time to face the music, I suppose. Whatever happens, I'll try to make sure you get left out of this mess. None of it is your fault."

"Captain," Corso began but she cut him off quickly.

"Just tell the truth when they come to question you. You'll be fine." She squeezed his shoulder and gave him a gentle shove towards the hatch. "Come on."

Jorgan had already opened the hatch and stepped outside. She could hear him hollering at some hapless crew member, demanding a medic for Viggota. Rian walked into the back of the shuttle and crouched down beside the lieutenant, ignoring Corso and Lomning for the moment. His eyes were unfocused but he more or less looked at her when she grabbed his hand. "Thanks, Vig. I know you're a decent sort and you wouldn't have done this. I hope I can see you again when you're feeling better, but I wanted to tell you this now, just in case." She gave his hand a quick squeeze, then stood and walked out of the shuttle with her head high.

She could feel the hum of the engines through her boots when they hit the deck and knew the moment the ship made the jump to hyperspace. She smiled, glad the _Esseles_ and all her passengers were safe now, even though she had given up her only chance for escape. She couldn't get a shuttle out of the hangar while they were in hyperspace. The blast doors were already closed over the magnetic field, and wouldn't open again until the ship was orbiting Coruscant.

Jorgan turned at the sound of Corso's heavy boots on the ramp and locked eyes with her. She straightened her shoulders and drew her pistol. The Cathar stiffened, hand going for his own sidearm, but she spun the blaster around her finger, unable to resist putting a bit of flair into it, and presented it to him grip-first. "You can have me. Just leave Corso out of this, would you? He's a good kid, and doesn't deserve to be dragged through this."

The sergeant looked at her in surprise, but put his hand out to claim her blaster - Viggota's, technically. "I can't promise anything," he said, his voice a low rumble. He was calmer than she had expected him to be but then again, he had what he wanted now. "But I will make a full report to my superiors and make sure to commend you both for your help with this situation."

Rian blinked at him. That certainly wasn't the reaction she had expected. She wondered if she should ask him what had changed his mind but then the doors to the hangar hissed open and Jorgan jumped to organize the stream of medics and droids that streamed into the room. Rian found herself sitting on a handy crate, watching bemusedly as a nurse put her through a battery of tests and scans to determine the extent of her concussion. Jorgan had stationed a single security guard nearby, but he hadn't cuffed her.

"You're doing just fine," the nurse said, giving her a smile. "You're almost entirely symptom-free. I'll give you some painkillers, and you'll just need to take it easy for a couple of days and you'll be good as new."

Rian thanked the woman and leaned back on her hands. Viggota was being transferred to a stretcher and taken to the medbay. Corso had his broken nose examined but Lomning had done a good job on it and he didn't need any further treatment. Lomning left with Viggota, deep in discussion with one of the doctors. The medical staff trailed in their wake, and silence descended on the hangar. Corso cast a sidelong look at Rian, who shrugged one shoulder. She had no idea what was going to happen next.

Jorgan was huddled with a small group of _Esseles_ security guards, gesturing at the pair of them. The Mon Calamari officer, who seemed to be in charge, saluted Jorgan quickly and the Cathar spun on his heel and stalked out of the hangar. The officer turned and made his way over to Rian and Corso.

Rian stood up quickly, regretting it when her head spun a little. Corso gripped her elbow gently to help her keep her balance and she gave him a quick half smile before turning back to the Mon Calamari.

The man stopped in front of her and snapped a crisp salute. Rian kept the surprise off her face with some effort. "Ma'am. Sir. I'm Commander Narlock. Sergeant Jorgan has asked me to escort you to your quarters," he said.

Corso straightened up and saluted back. "Thank you, Commander." Rian blinked at him in surprise as he gestured for her to go first, a hand still on her elbow.

"Full of surprises, aren't you Farm Boy?" she murmured to him as the Commander fell in behind them. Corso just shrugged, but he had a bit of a smirk on his face. The guards hurried ahead to open the hangar doors and direct them down the corridor to the right.

The guards directed them to what was clearly the public part of the ship. Rian had been expecting the brig, but Commander Narlock had been speaking literally when he said he was escorting them to their quarters. She and Corso ended up in adjoining rooms. They were small, but comfortable, and Rian's eyes lit up to see that there was a private 'fresher in each suite.

The commander saluted them again. "I'll be leaving a pair of my men here. Please let them know if you need anything." He coughed apologetically. "I'll have to ask you to surrender your weapons and advise you that you're not to leave your quarters without an escort."

Rian had been expecting that, and reached down to unfasten the vibroknife sheath at her ankle. She flipped it around and presented it hilt-first. Commander Narlock accepted it gravely and passed it to one of his men. Corso handed over his rifle, pistol, and knife with some reluctance. "Take good care of them, all right?" he asked, and the commander nodded.

"I'll have dinner sent around in half an hour," he told them. "We'll reach Coruscant late tomorrow morning."

"Thanks," Rian said, already eying the 'fresher. She needed a shower, desperately. The commander noticed and waved them away with a grin. She hit the locking button on the door and shed her armour as she made her way across the room.

Her dinner arrived while she was still in the shower. She didn't hear the door chime the first time, or the second, but she definitely heard the alarm that sounded when the lock was overridden. She jumped out of the 'fresher to see the young security guard standing in the doorway, pistol drawn. His eyes went wide at the sight of her and he quickly looked away. "Sorry, Ma'am. You didn't answer your door, so..." he trailed off, embarrassed.

"So you had to check to make sure I hadn't escaped." She grinned, taking pity on the kid and reaching back into the refresher room for a towel. "I just didn't hear the chime, I'm sorry."

"No harm done," he said, determinedly keeping his eyes turned away. "Your dinner's arrived. I'll have it left on the table for you."

"Thank you," she replied, retreating back into the 'fresher to dry off properly. She found a thick robe behind the door and pulled it on before emerging.

She flicked on the holo while she ate, watching the news scroll past without really registering it. Her head still felt a little fuzzy and the long, hot shower had made her drowsy. She took a couple of the painkillers that the nurse had prescribed and stretched out on the bed.

She wasn't quite asleep when the door chimed again. She jerked upright, reaching for her blaster, confused when her fingers brushed the soft cloth of the robe instead of the grip of her pistol but she quickly remembered where she was and stood to answer the door.

Lomning was waiting outside and his eyes crinkled into a smile when he saw her. "You're looking refreshed, Captain. May I come in?" He had clearly also showered and changed, and he looked much better than he had the last time she saw him. She stepped aside to wave him in, letting the security guard take the remnants of her dinner while the door was open, then settled down on the end of the bed. Lomning took the single chair and leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," she said. "Not quite one hundred percent, but better. I didn't really get the chance to thank you properly," she began, but he waved a hand to silence her.

"No thanks are necessary. I felt certain that we would need more firepower than we had available, and your concussion was significantly milder than Lieutenant Din-amarth's. I would not have been able to effect such a healing on him under those circumstances."

"Still," she said, tucking her feet up under her. "I appreciate it. How is Vig anyways?"

"He's still in the medical bay, but he will make a full recovery."

She smiled with relief. "That's good to hear. He seems like a good guy."

"He does." Lomning lapsed into silence for a moment, studying her carefully. "I wanted to offer you my services," he said. "I wasn't able to complete the healing on the Imperial ship, but if you are willing, I will do so now."

Rian sat up straighter with a grin. "You mean get rid of this fuzzy feeling in my head? I'm all for that!"

"The process can be... slightly invasive," the Jedi cautioned. "I will not be able to sense your thoughts, but I will potentially be able to sense your feelings. If you are properly relaxed and can keep your mind blank, I should not be able to sense anything."

Rian shrugged. "I trust you," she told him simply. She was surprised to find it was true. Trust was a hard-earned commodity in her line of work, but the Jedi had more than earned it.

Lomning nodded and stood. "Please lay down," he told her, waiting until she had stretched out on the bed before moving closer. He stood by the headboard and reached out to place the fingertips of his right hand on her forehead. His skin was warm against hers. "Relax," he said, his voice soft and soothing. "Think of nothing. Think of the blackness of space, of floating in the void." She let her eyes close and his presence washed over her like sunlight.

She wasn't sure how much later it was when she blinked her eyes open, but Lomning was back in the chair and studying her carefully. She sat up slowly, but the fuzzy feeling was gone, as were the muscle aches she had had when she woke up in the _Esseles_ ' brig and the bruises and scrapes from the fight on the Imperial battlecruiser. She grinned broadly at the Jedi. "You're a handy man to have around, Lomning. Can I tempt you with a position on my ship?"

The Jedi chuckled softly. "Count nothing out, Captain. But for now, you should sleep. Your body has used all of its reserves and you must rest to replenish them."

She nodded, standing to let him out. "Thanks, Lomning. For everything."

"Good night, Captain," he replied, clasping her hand warmly. "I hope to see you again soon."

She closed the door behind him and dimmed the light, then shed her robe and crawled into the bed. She was asleep in moments, and if she dreamed, she didn't remember it.


	8. Chapter 8

Rian didn't have a window in her quarters but she could still feel it when the ship dropped out of hyperspace. She paced the small room clad only in the soft robe, feeling trapped and nervous. At some point, the door chimed and a young security officer offered her fresh clothing and breakfast. She stopped pacing long enough to dress and eat. They had brought her a pair of sober tan pants and a plain white shirt. She tucked the pants into the tops of her brown leather boots. She folded her old clothes and stacked them on the bed. She wasn't sure what else to do with them.

A slight shift in the sound of the engines told her they had achieved orbit. The _Esseles_ wasn't able to enter a planetary atmosphere, but shuttles would take the passengers down to the surface. She wondered if she and Corso would get preferential treatment or if they would have to cool their heels until all the passengers had disembarked.

About ten minutes after the ship had slid into orbit, her door chimed. She opened it to see the Mon Calamari commander and his security squad. Corso was already standing with them, dressed in navy pants and a white shirt that hugged his broad shoulders. She blinked in surprise. She had expected to see Viggota or Jorgan. "Good morning, Commander," she said and the man saluted her smartly.

"Good morning, Captain. Your transport is waiting, if you will accompany me." He stepped aside to motion her out into the corridor. She hesitated a moment, glancing at her clothes on the bed. "Those will be packaged up and delivered to you on Coruscant," he said, following her gaze. "Would you like them cleaned first?"

"Please," she said, stepping out into the hallway. She felt her shoulders tense and relaxed them with an effort. Walking into a firefight was easier than this. She wondered if they would shoot her if she ran. That might be preferable to whatever was waiting for her on the planet.

The security guards formed up around her and Corso and Commander Narlock led the way down the hall. Corso fumbled for her hand and gave it a squeeze. She nearly pulled away but she could see how nervous the kid was, so she squeezed back. He gave her a crooked smile and reluctantly pulled his hand away.

The hangar they were led to wasn't one of the enormous ones used to ferry the passengers off the ship, nor was it the starfighter bay they had used during the battle. This one was much smaller, holding a single ship with Republic army markings on the nose cone and stubby wings. It was a small, fast courier ship. She would have loved to have a chance to fly it.

Sergeant Jorgan was standing by the hatch, having a quiet conversation with a petite black-haired woman wearing a bridge officer's uniform. He wasn't in armour but instead was smartly dressed in a perfectly-pressed uniform with Havoc's badge on his chest. They broke apart as Commander Narlock approached and saluted.

"Thank you, Commander," Jorgan rumbled, returning the salute. He waved the woman away and she went, though not without a curious glance at Rian and Corso. Jorgan looked them over quickly and then pointed to the hatch. "In you go." Rian swallowed hard but stepped forward. Getting into a shuttle had never been so hard.

The small shuttle only had six seats. The front two were partially enclosed by a retractable door that would completely close off the cockpit if necessary. Rian forced down her unease and settled herself in the next row of seats. Corso sat down beside her, looking pale under his tan. She wanted to say something reassuring, but Jorgan stepped into the shuttle right behind them. "Get buckled in. We're launching in five minutes." The Cathar didn't even bother to look at them before he strode forward and slid into the pilot's chair.

"Where's Vig?" Rian asked, peering out into the hangar.

"The lieutenant is still in the med bay." She met Corso's eyes and raised an eyebrow. She hoped he hadn't taken a turn for the worse. But she was sure Lomning would be able to take care of whatever was wrong.

Jorgan fired up the engines and hit the door switch. The hatch slid closed with a clank and she felt the shuttle lift off from the deck. The Cathar eased it forward through the magnetic shield and veered around the bulk of the _Esseles_.

Rian could only see a thin slice of the view port from her seat but she didn't need to see Coruscant to know what it looked like. She had been there many times before. The entire planet was one massive, world-spanning city. It looked brown from orbit, glowing with innumerable lights that tried valiantly to break through the smog cloud that cloaked the whole world. She leaned back in her chair as the shuttle burned through the atmosphere and closed her eyes. You couldn't see the stars from Coruscant.

*****

Jorgan landed the shuttle at a busy spaceport near the Senate Tower. Rian had expected him to turn them over to some grunt but he personally escorted them through the crowds. She was half tempted to make a break for it - there were so many people around that it would have been easy to lose herself among them. She wasn't sure what stopped her. Part of it could have been the sharp eye that Jorgan was keeping on her, but she'd escaped out from under his nose before. There were a million places to hide here.

They exited the spaceport and Corso caught his breath, grabbing for her arm. She chuckled fondly. "Never been here before, Farm Boy?" The kid shook his head, eyes wide as he stared up. And up. The Senate Tower seemed to soar into the sky. Hover cars streamed by in orderly stacks in all directions. There was a constant press of people and the sound of at least a dozen different languages. It was a lot to take in.

To Rian's great surprise, Jorgan stopped to wait for them. His expression was hard to read but she thought she detected a certain degree of tolerance under the ever-present scowl. She leaned against Corso and looked up at the towers that surrounded them. She could smell shuttle fuel and exhaust fumes. The breeze swirled by in unpredictable eddies, kicked up by the constant streams of traffic. She wondered if he missed Ord Mantell.

Corso finally shook off his wonder. "I ain't never seen anything like this before," he said, shaking his head. "How do people live like this?"

She ruffled a hand fondly through his dreadlocks, which hung loose around his face. "Missing your wide open spaces?"

"A little bit." He looked around again, eyes wide. "Stars, Captain. I can't even imagine how many people must live here."

"You probably don't want to know," she told him with a grin, tucking her arm through his and tugging him along. "Let's go, before the sergeant decides to shoot us," she murmured in his ear, earning a grin.

The wide promenade leading to the Senate Tower was open to the sky. The ever-present hum of the hover cars provided a background noise that Rian had almost managed to forget about. She wasn't sure how it was that the sound of her ship's engines never bothered her but these did. She'd never managed a proper night of sleep on Coruscant.

Ahead of them, the Senate Tower reared up into the sky in a series of columns and disks. Spotlights splashed against the walls, bright enough to cut through the smog. A constant stream of well-dressed Senators and aides clogged the doors and congregated in small groups on the plaza and a row of immense statues overlooked the walk up to the tower. Rian didn't care enough to find out who they were, but she was certain they were probably all politicians.

Jorgan led them directly to the main doors, his glare more than enough to clear a path for them. Rian felt very small as the massive entrance swallowed her up.

The tower wasn't any smaller inside. Graceful columns supported a gallery high above their heads and enormous skylights let in the gold-tinged light. Red carpets muffled their footsteps on the pale stone floors. The walls bore carvings and inlays, and exotic plants stood in nooks and alcoves along the walls. The impressive space seemed to swallow sound. The building felt hushed, despite the number of people scurrying back and forth.

Jorgan seemed to know exactly where he was going, leading them through the first rotunda and down a side corridor. The ceilings were still way higher than they needed to be, creating strange echoes. Two corners later, he stopped outside an eight-foot-tall wooden door and rapped sharply. It was opened by a protocol droid and Jorgan strode in confidently.

The room was brightly lit, with one whole wall taken up by windows. Lamps augmented the smog-dimmed sunlight and a thick blue and gold carpet muffled their footsteps. A trio of chairs stood in front of a heavy antique desk by the windows. The droid closed the door behind them.

A woman was waiting to meet them. Human; older, judging by the steel-grey hair that she wore pulled back in a strict bun and the lines on her weathered face. She was wearing a Republic military uniform with General's pips on the collar. Rian swallowed hard. She certainly hadn't expected to be brought before a general.

Jorgan snapped to attention and saluted. "Sir! Reporting as ordered."

The general returned his salute. "At ease, Sergeant," she said. Her voice was strong and her posture erect. She may have been old, but she was still formidable. She studied Rian closely and the Twi'lek had to fight the urge to drop her eyes. Corso did, coughing and staring down at the tips of his boots when the general turned her regard on him. "Welcome," she finally said, gesturing to the chairs in front of her desk. "Can I offer you refreshments?"

"Just water," Rian responded, glad her voice was steady. Corso nodded agreement. The general gestured and her droid whirred into motion, clanking across the room and through a doorway into what she assumed was some sort of kitchen. She seated herself gingerly as the general settled down behind her desk. Corso perched on the edge of the chair beside her and Jorgan stayed standing behind them. She wasn't thrilled to have him in her blind spot but there wasn't much she could do about it now.

The general waited until the droid had distributed the drinks - in expensive crystal glasses that Corso was almost too nervous to touch - and dismissed it. As soon as they were alone, she leaned her elbows on her desk and gave Rian a look over her folded hands. Rian cleared her throat nervously and took a sip of her water. "My name is General Garza," the woman said without preamble. "I'm the commander of the Republic's Special Forces."

Rian blinked and shared a look with Corso. "Captain Tsel'rianeen," she said, setting her glass carefully on the edge of the desk. "This is Corso Riggs. Mind telling us what's going on?" She heard Jorgan make a strangled noise behind her, but she held the general's eyes steadily. The woman wanted something, and Rian wasn't in the mood to dance around the issue.

The general arched one eyebrow but seemed impressed. "Very well, I will cut to the chase. I read Lieutenant Din-amarth and Sergeant Jorgan's reports of the incident aboard the _Esseles_. I have also received a message from a Jedi Consular named Lomning. He told me of his belief that you, Captain, have been framed." Garza sat back and tapped her fingers on the arms of her chair. "I have had our people looking into your arrest warrant and they have informed me that there are several irregularities that support this story."

Rian felt her heart leap at Garza's words but kept her expression guarded. Any aide could have told her that over a holo. Why was she sitting in a general's office in the Senate Tower? "I'm glad to hear that, General," she said cautiously.

Garza steepled her fingers and tapped them on her bottom lip. "I will be blunt, Captain. We are in need of someone with your... unique talents. A delicate situation has arisen, and Havoc Squad finds itself short-staffed. I would like you to work with them."

Rian threw her head back and laughed, startling the others. "I know we've only just met, General, but you can't possibly think I'm Special Forces material." She stood, tugging her shirt straight. "I can't thank you enough for sorting out that mess with the warrant, and I appreciate your help. I wish you the best of luck with whatever your problem is, but I'm going to have to decline your offer." She smiled at Garza and turned to leave when the woman's voice froze her in her tracks.

"It wasn't an offer, Captain. It was an order." Rian whirled back around angrily but the general was unfazed. "The erroneous warrant has been cleared off our records, but there is still the matter of the theft of Republic property, not to mention the fact that you assaulted several Republic officers on Ord Mantell. Oh and your prison break stunts." She offered Rian a smug smile, ignoring the anger that flickered across the Twi'lek's features. "You will lend your talents to Havoc Squad, or you will be remanded into custody to await trial."

Rian stalked forward and slammed her hands down on Garza's desk, leaning forward angrily. "Fine, you've got me. Well done. Send Corso home, and I'll dance to your tune. No tricks."

Corso jumped up from his chair, nearly dropping his glass. "Now just one minute, Captain!" Rian held up a hand to silence him without breaking eye contact with the general.

"Mr. Riggs is free to go," she said, dusting her hands off. "Lieutenant Din-amarth has chosen not to pursue assault charges and he has no outstanding warrants on record. We will provide him with a shuttle pass back to Ord Mantell." Rian had almost forgotten about Corso punching Viggota when they had gotten captured.

"Captain!" Corso sputtered, but she shook her head.

"That's acceptable. But this isn't an open-ended thing. I expect a fixed term that we both agree on once you've told me what I'll be doing. I'm not giving up the rest of my life for you."

"Agreed." Garza stood and offered her hand. Rian shook it, giving the woman a hard look. She hated being manipulated. "Sergeant Jorgan will show you to your quarters. I have been informed that Lieutenant Din-amarth will be released by the doctors this afternoon. You will be required to attend a briefing at fourteen-hundred hours." Garza smiled, a quick flash of teeth. "Thank you for your cooperation, Captain."

Rian spun on her heel, yanking the door open and stalking out of the general's office. Corso was hot on her heels and exploded as soon as they were in the corridor. "Captain! You can't do this!"

"I just did, Riggs," she told him, still seething. Jorgan followed them out into the hall and closed the door behind him. Rian thought he looked insufferably smug. She ignored him and turned back to Corso. "Go home." She sighed, all the anger running out of her suddenly. "Get your life back. One of us should."

Corso set his jaw stubbornly. "I'm not going to leave you here," he said. "I want to help."

She smiled sadly, slinging an arm over his shoulders and giving him a squeeze. "Thanks, kid. That really means a lot. Tell you what - I'll take you out for drinks after my briefing, okay?" Corso grunted noncommittally, brows still drawn down over his eyes. She hated doing this to him, but she didn't want him caught up in this bantha dung. There was no sense in letting Garza ruin both of their lives.


	9. Chapter 9

Rian's quarters were in an apartment block connected to the Senate Tower by an arching footpath. It was an understatedly elegant building, probably intended to house visiting diplomats or delegates from other planets. It was one of the fanciest rooms she had ever stayed in.

It made her want to put her boots up on the table and drink something cheap and strong, just to mess up the place some.

She wasn't sure where Corso was. One of Garza's aides had escorted him off while Jorgan had showed her to her rooms. She had expected him to gloat, or at least make some comment about her changed status, but he had stayed silent. The Cathar had certainly been treating them differently since the _Esseles_. She wondered what his angle was.

She flopped onto the huge bed, deliberately knocking most of the pillows onto the floor and bunching up the blankets. This place wasn't her style at all. She felt too loud, too brash. This room was for quiet, calm, elegant people, ambassadors and diplomats. Not a smuggler ship's captain with an outstanding arrest warrant hanging over her head and more scars than she could conveniently count. She flopped onto her back and made a rude noise into the empty room. She hated this. She hated waiting, and being at someone else's mercy.

The hours before the meeting dragged on. A silent aide brought her lunch. She ate it on the balcony, staring down into Coruscant's lower levels and remembering.

It had been a few months since she had been here last. It had been legitimate business that time - well, mostly. The _Event Horizon_ had a few small trinkets hidden away that may not have been _entirely_ legal to transport and sell, but most of her hold had been filled with crate after crate of computer chips.

Coruscant's Undercity was shrouded in perpetual twilight. The world-spanning skyscrapers clustered so tightly together that they formed a roof that blocked out any trace of light that might have filtered down to the people who lived in their shadows. Several of the streetlamps were out, leaving pockets of darkness but Rian strode through them, unconcerned. The duracrete under her boots was damp with substances best left unidentified, and the street appeared deserted though she was sure any number of eyes watched her from the gloom.

She could hear the rumble of machinery and the whoosh of speeders from the upper levels. Closer at hand, a steady drip-drip-drip echoed her footsteps. Something with too many legs skittered away from her as she approached. The Undercity smelt of rot and damp and despair.

The place was a maze of interlocking streets, bisected by pipelines that fed the skyscrapers above, but Rian knew exactly where she was going. Two turnings later, the road widened ahead of her into a broad square. It was bordered on all sides by shops, most of which were closed for the night, the bright glow of their signs turned down to almost nothing. Not that a person could tell it was past midnight by looking at the sky from down here, but this was a more reputable part of the Undercity, and it generally operated on Coruscant time.

A blaze of light and noise marked a cantina, and she strode purposefully towards it. She could hear the music from the street, and her steps quickened. A burst of laughter rang out as she opened the door and she couldn't help but grin in response. She squinted into the brightness and heard someone holler her name.

Kyven Alloren ran a small manufacturing plant. The entire Undercity had once supported massive processing plants but when cheaper options were found off-world, most of them had shut down. Kyven's was considerably smaller than the ones that had used to operate on the planet, but he was still moderately successful. He could afford her fee, after all.

"Rian, my lovely, you're a sight for sore eyes," he said, pulling her down into his booth. She grinned at him and let him kiss her cheeks. He was old enough to be her grandfather but to hear him tell it, he had been quite the lady-killer in his youth.

"Kyven, it's been far too long." He waved for the server and she ordered a hot meal and a drink.

"I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow," he said, sipping from his own mug with a satisfied sigh.

"Corrent had a cancellation and was able to fit me in earlier," she replied. Corrent ran the loading docks on Dac. She had known him for years, and he was usually able to help her out in some way.

"And you missed me so much you had to come find me now?" Kyven asked with a grin.

Rian laughed, leaning back when a server brought her meal and shaking her head. "I just landed. I came for the food."

Kyven clapped a hand over his heart in mock pain. "You wound me, Captain! I rate below Undercity cantina food!" He grinned at her, deliberately waiting until her mouth was full before continuing. "It's too bad you weren't here an hour ago. Darnath was in earlier."

She nearly choked on her mouthful. "He still hasn't given up?" she asked with a scowl. She had slept with the kid once - _once_! - and he had decided he was in love with her. The last time she had been on Coruscant he had presented her with an engagement ring and a plan to save his credits so he could afford his own apartment so they could "be together always". Rian hadn't even bothered to respond. She had just walked away. She couldn't get her launch clearance fast enough.

"He said you must have been so overwhelmed by his proposal that you were completely speechless," Kyven chortled. "He's been talking about you since you left, to anyone that will listen." He paused, rolling his eyes. "And anyone that won't. You've got to say something to him, Ri."

Rian sighed but she knew Kyven was right. "Fine, fine. I'll see if I can find him tomorrow. After I deliver your chips."

The old man grinned. "You've no idea how much good those are going to do down here," he told her, finishing off his drink. "I was able to swing such a good price on those that I can sell this next batch for prices people down here can actually afford. There's a lot of families down here that could use the help."

Kyven's company made droids. Mostly large sweeper droids that were used in factories, but they also had a line of simple near-Humanoid units that were capable of doing housework and other simple chores. Many of the residents of the Undercity spent so much of their time and energy just trying to get enough credits to afford food and shelter that their homes and families were neglected. Having some extra help at home - especially help that didn't need to eat or sleep - would be a huge boon to them.

"Softie," she teased him gently, finishing her meal and pushing her plate away. Kyven just smiled indulgently at her. She knew his heart belonged to the Undercity. When everyone else closed up their factories, taking badly-needed jobs off-planet, he had stayed. They had had a rough couple of years, but he had pulled them through it, and now he used any chance he could to give back to his community. She felt good when she was able to do a job for him. She liked the way he worked.

It was a couple of hours later when they finally left the cantina. The band had been good, and Kyven had insisted on a dance. Which had turned into two, then three, then a dozen. The old man was still spry, and he was a good dancer. Rian liked to dance, but didn't get to do it nearly often enough. She didn't work with many people that she also thought of as a friend. It was a rare client that she would go out dancing with. For pleasure, at least. Business was another matter.

Kyven insisted on walking her back to the spaceport, waving it off when she protested that she would be fine. "I've got an investment in keeping you safe," he told her. "You can do all the dangerous things you want after you offload my cargo."

She laughed, letting him tuck her hand into the crook of her arm. They rode an elevator up to the spaceport together and she waited to make sure he got a taxi before she let herself into her ship. The _Event Horizon_ was dark and quiet. She missed Joro and Lia. Things had never been dull with them around. But they had decided to get married, then her first mate had gone and gotten herself pregnant and decided that a smuggler's ship was no place to raise a family. Rian had visited them once after the baby was born, a pretty little thing named Ellie. The two ex-smugglers seemed happy, but Rian had fled back to her ship as soon as she was able. She couldn't imagine being stuck on a planet for the rest of her life. Give her the stars any day, even if it meant she was alone.

Kyven had had a heart attack not long after the last time she had seen him. His nephew had managed to get him to a medical droid in time to save his life, but the old man had taken that as a sign that it was time to retire. He had passed the reins of the company off to his youngest son and decided to spend his last years spoiling his multitude of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Rian had talked to him over the holo, but she hadn't seen him since then. She wondered if she could swing a visit.

She had been lost in her thoughts for so long, that her door chime came as a surprise. She glanced at the computer display in the corner, surprised to find that it was already nearly time for Garza's meeting. She left the remains of her lunch stacked neatly on the table and opened the door.

Viggota was waiting outside for her, looking a little tired, but much better than the last time she had seen him. He was wearing his uniform and the material was stretched over his broad shoulders and chest. He somehow looked even bigger than he had in his armour.

His eyes lit up when he saw her. "Captain! Good to see you again."

She let him clasp her hand. "You too. You look much better than you did yesterday."

"I feel better." He grinned down at her. "Clean bill of health. Lomning is _good_."

Rian found herself grinning back. "That he is." She stepped through the door and let it shut behind her. "So I guess you heard what happened this morning?"

Viggota nodded, heading down the hallway. "Yeah." He winced. "Sorry about that. I didn't know she was planning something like that. It's a pretty dirty thing to do to you."

She sighed. "I guess it had to happen sometime, right? I mean, I knew the risks when I got into this line of work. At least I'm not in a cell."

The big soldier chuckled quietly. "True." He walked in silence for a few minutes, but Rian could tell he had something on his mind. "Look... about Jorgan." He made a face. "He's a good guy, really. I think you just caught him on a bad day."

She snorted a laugh. "Or several bad days."

Viggota laughed with her. "Or that. I can't give you any details, but he's not happy about his demotion. It really wasn't his fault; he just took the fall for something that someone else did." He frowned. "It was all politics, and it was such a load of bantha dung. So he's a little touchy about the rules right now. But he's a good soldier, and he knows his stuff. Can you just try to give him another chance?"

"If he stops trying to shoot or arrest me, sure," she said. "But he's also got to understand that I don't live by his rules. I'm not Special Forces, and I never will be. He's got to cut me some slack too."

Viggota nodded, glancing down at her. "I'll talk to him, tell him to ease up on you. He's going to have to, if we're going to be working together on this."

Rian arched a brow. "Oh? Do you know something I don't?"

The trooper grinned. "Definitely. But that doesn't mean I can tell you." He waved her towards an open door opposite them. She could see a long table in the centre of the room, surrounded by chairs. General Garza was already seated at one of them.

She punched Viggota hard in the shoulder and then sauntered through the door.

Garza was watching her disapprovingly, so Rian made a point of picking a chair directly opposite the General and propping her booted feet up on the conference table. She may as well try to hit all the stereotypes if she could. She just wished she had a knife to clean her fingernails with.

"Captain," Garza greeted her, voice dripping with scorn.

"General," Rian replied, sketching a half-hearted salute with the wrong hand. Viggota snorted behind her, quickly turning it into a cough as he snapped to attention and saluted properly.

"Have a seat, Lieutenant," Garza told him and waved him to a chair.

He settled down on Rian's right. "Where's Jorgan?" he asked. Rian was wondering that too. She was sure the Cathar would be one of the types to be punctual to a fault.

"Sergeant Jorgan will be along shortly," the general replied. "I needed him to collect some information for me." She had barely finished speaking when a rap on the door announced Jorgan's arrival. "At ease, Sergeant," Garza said when he snapped to attention to salute her. He had a datapad in his other hand, which he handed to the general before he sat down beside Viggota.

Garza examined the data on the pad and nodded her approval to Jorgan. "Thank you, Sergeant. I think we're ready to begin." She stood and moved around the table to close the door, then powered up the holo display at one end of the room. "We have a situation that requires a delicate touch." She looked sternly at Rian. "I don't believe I need to make any tiresome threats about what will happen to you if you don't keep this information confidential?"

Rian rolled her eyes. "No, I think I can fill in the blanks myself, thanks."

She could feel Jorgan frowning at her, but he didn't say anything. The general cleared her throat and tapped out a command. The holo shifted to show a headshot of a dark-haired man with a thick moustache. "This is Harron Tavus. He is a highly decorated officer, who had just defected to the Empire along with most of his squad. He has information that we cannot allow to fall into enemy hands."

Rian felt her brows lifting in surprise. "This sounds like an internal problem," she told Garza. "Why am I here?"

The older woman frowned at the holo image. "As I said, this is a delicate matter. It must be handled with utmost discretion."

"I get it," the Twi'lek chuckled. "You haven't told anyone yet. This would be a black mark on you, and you want it cleaned up before it lands on your head." She stretched her arms up over her head languorously. "In fact, he's probably Special Forces, isn't he? You said Havoc Squad was short-staffed. Your prized people, turned traitor? I can see why you don't want anyone finding out."

Garza made a strangled noise and she heard Jorgan leap to his feet behind her. The general held up a hand to keep the Cathar in place. "You're clever," she finally said to Rian, her voice sharp with anger. "Yes, you've quite figured it out. Well done." She pressed her palms flat against the table and Rian could see her collecting herself again. "So now that we are all on the same page, this is what we require of you."

She tapped another button and Tavus' image faded away. "Tavus has been spotted in the Undercity, in the area occupied by the Justicars' Brigade. We need to track him and his people down before they're able to get off-planet."

"And you need my connections," Rian guessed. "Because you can't exactly go to your Intelligence people if you're trying to keep this quiet."

"Exactly." Garza handed her the datapad. "This is the rest of Tavus' squad. You will need to familiarize yourself with them."

Rian glanced down. The first image was a female Mirialan named Zora - a.k.a. "Wraith". She had been Tavus' second-in-command and specialized in infiltration and assassination. She seemed strict and serious. Vanto Bazren - code-named "Fuse" - was the squad's explosives expert. He was a young Zabrak with a charmingly shy smile, his head shaved bare between his horns except for a single long tail that fell down to the back of his neck. Bex Kolos - "Gearbox" - was a mountain of a man. Human, but absolutely massive. She had no desire to tangle with him. The last face on the holo was a slender cyborg doctor named Rylar Dorant. He was code-named "Needles", and something about the superior smirk on his face in the image made Rian dislike him immediately.

"Okay, so what do you want me to do?" she said, looking up from the datapad.

"We need a way in to the Justicars' territory," Garza told her. "They have their sector on lockdown. No one in or out without proper identification." The woman locked her hands behind her back and shifted into a lecturing tone. "The Justicars are a militia organization that formed after the Sacking of Coruscant. They were originally intended to fight back against the Black Sun and the other gangs, but they have fallen far from their idealistic beginnings. They are now little more than bullies and they have their sector under martial law. They're imprisoning and executing people for breaching curfew and littering."

Rian interrupted, her voice hard. "I'm familiar with them." She saw the general's eyebrow lift but she didn't elaborate further. Kyven had lost a grandson to the Justicars. He had joined - against his family's wishes - to try to learn about them from the inside. He had always thought he could get himself back out again. Kyven said no one had heard from him in almost a year. The Justicars had swallowed him whole.

Garza cleared her throat. "Then you know the identification must be airtight. The Justicars run checks on anyone trying to cross their checkpoints. You must have contacts that can forge identity cards."

Rian sat back in her chair, tapping a finger on her lips as she ran through her mental list. "I might know someone. It won't be cheap, though."

The general straightened her spine indignantly. "You will have access to an expense account for the duration of this operation. But I expect you to use it wisely." She reached into her pocket and reluctantly set a credstick on the table in front of her. Rian scooped it up and tucked it away without looking at it.

"Fine." She dropped her boots back to the floor and stood up. "Let me make some calls, then. But let's just get this straight. You've contracted me to get your people into the Justicars' territory and find Tavus. I do that, and we're square?" Garza nodded and Rian grinned impishly. "I'd ask for that in writing, but... I guess I'll just have to take you at your word."

The look on Garza's face was priceless and she heard Viggota choke down a laugh behind her. She threw the general another lazy salute and headed for the door.


	10. Chapter 10

Viggota caught up with her as she tried to navigate the maze of hallways. She slanted a look over her shoulder at him. "Let me guess. I'm not allowed to go anywhere unescorted?"

He shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, Captain. General's orders."

She rolled her eyes, but it wasn't unexpected. "Okay, but you need to get changed. You can't come with me looking like that."

Viggota looked down at his uniform and grinned. "Guess not. Come on. The barracks are on the way to the speeders."

She and Viggota chatted amiably as he led the way to the barracks. He moved through the halls with easy familiarity, having been stationed on Coruscant before he was assigned to Havoc Squad. He had mostly been a glorified honour guard in the Senate Tower, but he had seen action on the ground on Dantooine and some of the other border worlds. He was twenty-six Standard years old, a few years younger than her twenty-nine, and had served in the military since he was nineteen.

"Why did you join up?" she asked him, sprawling on his bed in the empty barracks. There was a lot to see and do on Coruscant. Off-duty soldiers didn't tend to spend much time in here.

He shrugged, opening his foot locker and digging through it for some civilian clothes. "I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life. One of my buddies was enlisting, and I basically tagged along. Nothing exciting." His shoulders were tight when he straightened up and Rian didn't press further. "What about you? How'd you end up..." He trailed off and waved a hand vaguely.

"As a smuggler?" she asked with a laugh. "For the credits. It started out small, carrying messages and packages as a kid so I could afford to feed myself." She shrugged again, not wanting to get into all the details and Viggota let it slide. She certainly wasn't going to tell him about her time as a slave. "I got picked up by a crew when I accidentally met their captain during a job. I guess she liked what she saw, because she agreed to take me with them. I spent the next few years learning the trade, then struck out on my own." She made a face. "Until some scumbag stole my ship and I got kidnapped by an insane Cathar."

Viggota laughed, unbuttoning his uniform shirt and sliding it off. He hung it up neatly and reached for the dark grey shirt he had found in his locker. Rian watched him appreciatively as he pulled it on over his head. His pale chest and arms were heavily muscled and lightly scarred. She had more scars, but that was probably less because of the amount of action they had each seen and more to do with the durasteel armour he wore. He probably also had better access to medical treatments than she did. The Republic was willing to spend a few credits to keep their troops healthy, whereas she had whatever she was able to stock in her ship's medbay, assuming she could get there fast enough when she was hurt.

His pants went next and she watched them fall with a grin. He had really nice legs, hard with corded muscle, and wasn't at all shy about her watching. She wasn't about to start anything, though. She didn't know exactly how this situation was going to pan out, so she didn't want to do anything that might give the general cause to revoke the agreement.

Viggota smirked at her as he pulled on a pair of comfortable blue pants and swapped his military-issue boots for a pair of sturdy black leatheris ones. He added a black leatheris jacket and belted his blaster pistol around his hips. "I assume this won't stand out?"

Rian shook her head, letting him take her hand and pull her to her feet. "Plenty of people in the Undercity have old military weaponry," she said. "You look just fine."

He grinned down at her. "So do you."

She laughed, batting at the hand he slid around to her hip. "Sorry, Vig. This whole situation is a little too volatile right now to add sex to the mix." She leaned up on her toes to brush her lips against his. "Maybe later, after we get this all sorted?"

He grinned good-naturedly. "Deal." He fished around in his equipment locker and tossed her a spare blaster and a holster. She was surprised he would give her a gun, but she supposed that Garza must have okayed it since she couldn't really play her role properly without one. Or perhaps the lieutenant was acting on his own. "Now come on, Captain. Show me these seedy cantinas you hang out in."

She rolled her eyes at him while she strapped the pistol on. "They can't be any worse than a bar full of soldiers." He laughed and nodded, letting her lead the way out of the barracks.

*****

She let Viggota pay for the taxi. She had Garza's credstick, but she assumed the one Viggota had used was from the general as well so she didn't feel too bad. He let her drive, since he didn't know where she was headed.

The Short Circuit was buried in the depths of the Undercity. They would have to walk, as the nearest taxi station was a good distance away. There had been a closer one once, but the unpredictable gangs in the area had made turning a profit difficult - they had been known to plant explosives in the taxis, hoping to take out some of their rivals. Having to replace vehicles constantly, and having a reputation for occasionally getting their clients killed, meant that the company soon went out of business.

This taxi stand was still in Republic-controlled territory. Viggota's military identification got them out through the checkpoint, and then Rian took over. "You're part of my crew," she told him. "You're the muscle. We're looking for a woman named Kixi, a Mirialan. Follow my lead, and try not to piss anyone off too much, okay?"

Viggota chuckled. "You're the boss, Captain."

She waited until they were past a small clump of kids and then pulled out the credstick Garza had given her. She hadn't wanted to give the woman the satisfaction of checking it out in front of her - she didn't want her to think she could be bought - and tapped the tiny display screen. Her eyebrows rose at the number. "She really wants these guys caught, I guess." She tucked the stick away and pulled Viggota into an alley. "Come on. I know a shortcut."

She wouldn't have normally gone this way, as it cut right through gang territory, but she thought even the most spiced-out ganger would think twice before confronting the two of them. She had a bit of a reputation on Coruscant - mostly fabricated, but still very useful - and Viggota's size would give anyone pause. The trooper looked around suspiciously but let her lead. She could practically feel the tension vibrating through him, but the Short Circuit was just up ahead, and the shortcut had taken nearly an hour off their travel time.

The interior of the cantina was dimly-lit and noisy. A scratchy-sounding jukebox competed with two dozen shouted conversations in a dozen different languages. Rian could smell Spice in the smoky air and spilled drinks made the floor sticky underfoot. As she led the way to the bar, she felt Viggota's hand land suddenly on her arm. He pulled her back against him and pressed his lips to her ear.

"That's an AR-34," he hissed. His whole body was tense.

She followed his line of sight and laughed, turning to pat his arm reassuringly. "Yeah, that's Zeesix. The bartender."

"The _bartender_?" His eyes widened. "A _Hutt enforcer droid_ is the bartender?"

Rian chuckled, studying the three-legged monstrosity. It towered over the crowd, clanking about in the rectangular space behind the bar. Its dark grey durasteel chassis was hard to see in the dim light of the cantina. Its metal claw-hands deftly grabbed glasses and garnishes, while the missile launcher that swept up over the top of its "head" had been converted to a drink dispenser. Its sensor array glowed blue, and she could hear its mechanical voice as it verified orders and joked with the customers.

"Bad hack job," she explained. "Someone tried slicing it, years back, but they messed it up something fierce. Ever since, the poor thing has thought it's a bartender. And it's a blasted good one." She tugged her arm out of Viggota's grip and slipped through the crowd to perch on a stool at the bar. She waved at Z6-3R and the backbreaker droid clanked over to take her order. "Randoni Yellow Plague," she told it, ignoring Viggota's raised eyebrow.

"And for you, sir?" Zeesix asked, one three-pronged hand already reaching for a glass and lifting it to one of the dispensers above its "head".

"Vinta Harvest Ale," Viggota replied, still eyeing the droid distrustfully. Zeesix whirred into action, setting Rian's drink precisely in front of her before fetching Viggota a bottle from the cooler. She noticed that he waited for the droid to set it down rather than take it directly from the metal claw.

Rian flashed her credstick at the reader and then set her back against it and scanned the crowd while she sipped at her drink. "Find us a table," she said to Viggota, leaning close to be heard over the noise. "I'm going to have a quick stroll around and see if I spot anyone I recognize." She flashed him a quick grin. "And don't worry, I'm not going to make a run for it."

He chuckled and tapped his bottle against her glass, then stood up on his toes to peer through the crowd to try to find an unoccupied table. Rian slipped away, moving through the throng with practiced ease. She spotted a number of familiar faces, but not the one she was looking for. She frowned a little. The slicer should be here at this time of day. Well, things changed. She hadn't been here in a few months. She couldn't expect Coruscant to stand still while she was away.

She caught the eye of a wiry Geonosian worker-caste male and jerked her head to indicate he should follow her. The insectoid creature bobbed his head in a nod and excused himself politely from his conversation.

Viggota had found a booth in a dark corner. She slid in beside him and finished off her drink. He was still nursing his ale and gave her a disapproving look. "I can drink you under the table if I want to, Vig," she muttered under her breath. He chuckled, shaking his head disbelievingly but didn't get a chance to respond.

Kri-Sek slid into the booth opposite her, his dark green exoskeleton clattering against the hard seat. He whistled and clicked at her and she smiled. "Good to see you too. This is Vig. Vig, Kri-Sek." The Geonosian dipped his head politely to the Human. Orange patches above his faceted eyes flashed in the dim light. He was wingless, unlike the warrior caste of his people, but despite his spindly build he was incredibly strong. Rian had seen him lift and throw a battle droid before.

The Geonosian clicked at her again and she leaned forward to pick his voice out over the noise of the cantina. Viggota looked lost beside her, and she realized he didn't speak the alien language. She threw him an apologetic look before turning her attention back to Kri-Sek. She needed to concentrate to understand him. Her Geonosian wasn't the best. "No," she told him when he asked it she was looking for a cargo. "I'm looking for Kixi."

Kri-Sek reared back in surprise, looking around quickly before bending over the table and signalling for her to lean closer and keep her voice down. Viggota raised an eyebrow at her and she held up a hand to say she'd tell him in a minute. Kri-Sek's news wasn't good. Kixi hadn't been seen in months. There were rumours floating around that she had gotten mixed up with the Black Sun gang. Rian frowned. She hadn't wanted to get involved with the gangs if she didn't have to.

"Thanks, Kri-Sek," she told him, and the Geonosian bowed his head to her. "Let me know if you hear anything else?" He whistled his agreement and then sauntered back across the cantina.

Viggota turned to her expectantly. "That didn't sound promising."

She sighed and stole his bottle for a long drink. "It wasn't. The slicer I'm looking for is tangled up with the Black Sun."

The big soldier frowned and took his ale back. "Can't you find someone else?"

Rian shrugged. "She's the best. I don't know anyone else who can do this job as fast as your boss wants it done."

"All right," he said shifting to tap a finger against his lip. "We'll have to find her. What do you need?"

"I'll holo a couple of people, see if they've got any more up-to-date information. I probably won't have anything before tomorrow or the next day." She shrugged again when he frowned. "Sorry, Vig. Information-gathering takes time."

"Nothing we can do for it now. I'll see what I can dig up too." He tipped his head back and drained his bottle. "We should head back."

"Sounds good." She stood and led the way to the door. "Oh, I promised Corso I'd take him out drinking tonight. You game?"

He chuckled, reaching over her head to push the door open. "You going to try to drink me under the table?"

"Of course not." She ducked under his arm and flashed him an impish grin. "I'm going to succeed."


	11. Chapter 11

Rian made Viggota detour so that she could pick up a cheap holo and wrist computer from one of the ubiquitous vendors that dotted the Undercity on their way back to the Senate Tower and tucked herself into her room to make her calls. It hadn't taken her long to get in touch with her contacts but as she expected, no one had any immediate information for her. They promised to get back to her as soon as they did so hopefully she would have better news soon. She made liberal use of Garza's credstick. Information wasn't cheap, especially somewhere like Coruscant.

With the loss of her ship and her subsequent capture, she currently owned exactly one outfit. The promised delivery of her clothes from the _Esseles_ had never happened, which was disappointing. She had trusted that Commander Narlock would have done as he had said he would. Maybe Garza had intercepted the package and didn't trust her with her weapons and armour. She'd have to figure out something else. She looked down at the white shirt and tan pants that she had been given on the _Esseles_. It was acceptable, but not really what she wanted to wear for a night out. She thumbed her door open and stuck her head out. One of Garza's people was stationed outside, a kid so young she wasn't sure he was shaving yet. She arched an eyebrow. Was Garza really that short-staffed?

The kid came to attention quickly, his round face alert. "Can I help you, Ma'am?" His black hair was shorn down to almost nothing and he had one brown eye and one blue cybernetic one.

"I need to go shopping," she told him, plucking at the front of her shirt. "This is fine, but I'd really like more than one shirt and one pair of pants to my name."

He blinked in surprise and then reached for his communicator. "Let me see if we can accommodate you, Ma'am."

She leaned her shoulder against the doorframe and listened to his one-sided conversation. She wasn't sure who he was talking to - he had addressed the person in his earpiece simply as "Sir" - but it seemed he was getting an affirmative answer because he glanced up at her at one point and nodded.

He dropped his hand from his earpiece and smiled at her. "I've been authorized to accompany you, Ma'am. Was there anywhere in particular that you wanted to go?"

"I had a couple of places in mind," she said, stepping out of her room and letting the door slide shut behind her. "You got a name, kid?"

"Lieutenant Chaykan, Ma'am." His shoulders jerked back and it looked like he just barely stopped himself from saluting.

"You got a first name?" she asked, arching one eyebrow.

He blinked at her in surprise. "Uh... Siva."

She clapped him hard on the shoulder. "All right, Siva, call me Rian. Come on; I'll drive."

*****

Three shops later, Rian was wondering just how far she'd be able to push the kid. His eyes - the biological and the cybernetic - had nearly popped out of his head at a couple of the outfits she had tried on. She had bought those ones.

But he was resilient, she'd give him that. He'd taken all the teasing in stride and had actually even loosened up enough to smile a couple of times. She thought he was probably straight out of the Academy. She wasn't sure who he'd pissed off to get this babysitting job.

"These too," she told the shop assistant, tossing a pair of skin-tight black pants into the droid's arms. She had chosen a few more practical outfits but she had wanted something to wear when she went out tonight. And none of these shops sold armour. She would have to figure that out later. She would need some if they were heading into Black Sun territory.

Siva was leaning against the wall beside the droid, eying the pile of clothes. It wasn't all that much, just three pairs of pants and four shirts, but the kid already had two other bags at his feet so Rian decided to ease up on him. "I think that's it," she said to the droid, who clanked up to the checkout. Rian buckled her boots back on and took one of the bags from the kid. "Thanks, Siva. Let's head back." She flashed Garza's credstick and took the new bag, letting Siva lead the way back to the taxi. She had sent a message to Corso and Viggota, and they would be meeting her in less than an hour. She wanted to make sure she had enough time to shower before then.

*****

Rian was used to getting ready fast, and was showered, dressed, and made up before her door chimed. She had decided to wear the black pants she had gotten in the last shop. They fit her like a second skin. She laced up her new black boots over of them. They had a subtle wedge heel that gave her another inch of height and made her legs look amazing. She had found a deep purple cropped top that dipped low to show off some cleavage and left her arms and midriff bare to show off the tattoos down her spine that matched those on her _lekku_. Subtle makeup made her eyes look huge and brilliantly green, and emphasized her cheekbones and lips. She gave herself a once-over in the mirror and nodded. Not bad for an afternoon's work.

She thumbed the door open when it chimed to see Viggota and Corso standing in the hall. Viggota was wearing the same outfit he'd had on earlier. He swept his eyes down her body and grinned approvingly. Corso took one look at her and nearly fell over. She laughed at his reaction and twirled so he could get the whole picture. "You like what you see?" The kid blinked a couple of times but couldn't seem to get any words out. He looked good too, in a tight black shirt that stretched over his chest and a pair of faded denym pants. His dreadlocks were hanging loose around his face and she reached up and tucked them behind his ear. He blushed when she touched him and she grinned. "I'll take that as a yes." She kissed his flushed cheek and slung an arm around his shoulders. "Come on. I promised you drinks."

Viggota was grinning when she caught his eye and she slung her other arm around his waist. "I think you look good," he said, resting a hand on the bare skin along her spine.

"Thanks, Vig. You both look good enough to eat." Corso's blush seemed to be getting worse.

"Did you forget to have dinner?" Viggota asked innocently and she unwound her arm to elbow him in the ribs. He laughed and ducked away from her. "Where are we headed?"

"Back to the Short Circuit," she said. "Cheap, strong drinks. What's not to like?"

Viggota waved for her and Corso to go ahead of her when they reached the long, arching bridge that lead from her building to the taxi stand. "I'll catch up. Just stay in sight."

She looked at him curiously but shrugged and tugged Corso along with her. "I wonder what that's all about?" she mused, looking back over her shoulder at him. He lifted his hand to his ear, and she realized he must have gotten a call on his communicator. She turned back to Corso, who had both hands jammed in his pockets and his eyes on the ground. "What's wrong?" she asked him, rubbing a hand over his back.

"Nothing," he muttered, refusing to look at her.

"Come on, Farm Boy," she teased gently. "You can tell me. You all right? Did they get you a shuttle pass?"

"I don't want to talk about that, Captain," he said, voice tight.

She looked up at him seriously, seeing the hard set of his jaw and the tenseness of his shoulders. "Corso," she waited until he glanced at her. "Are you mad that I told Garza to send you home?"

The corners of his mouth pinched downwards. "No." She could tell he was lying.

"Remember what I said to you on the _Esseles_? That I don't want to be responsible for anything bad happening to you?" He nodded grudgingly. "This mess I'm tangled up in... nothing good's going to come of it. I want to know you're safe, okay?" She sighed, tucking her arm through his and leaning against him. "I'll look you up when it's all finished. I'll need a first mate, when I get my ship back."

His muscles relaxed fractionally under her hand. "You promise?"

"Cross my heart, Farm Boy," she said, smiling up at him. He smiled back, tentatively. "Come on. Let's have some fun tonight, and we'll deal with the rest as it comes."

"All right," he said, and she could see him making an effort to lighten his mood. "You really think you can out-drink us?"

"You and Vig both," she said with a grin.

They paused before entering the taxi stand and Corso looked back the way they had come. "And what about him?"

Rian turned and her eyes widened. Viggota was walking towards them, a scowling Jorgan trailing in his wake.

*****

She had gotten herself back under control by the time the two soldiers reached them and just lifted a sardonic eyebrow. Viggota shrugged, face bland. Jorgan looked furious, and Corso uncomfortable.

It was the first time she had seen the Cathar out of his armour or uniform. He wasn't quite as broad through the chest as Viggota or Corso, but his plain white shirt and black pants showed off a sleek and athletic figure. She gave him an appreciative glance and he frowned at her.

Jorgan's lip curled as he took in her outfit. "Is this really necessary, sir?"

"Yes, it is. You and Captain Tsel'rianeen are going to have to be able to work together without trying to kill each other. So you're coming out drinking with us tonight, and you're going to be pleasant and civil." Viggota slanted a hard glance at Jorgan and then Rian. She held her hands out in surrender and Jorgan nodded stiffly. "And we're off the clock, and under cover. Call me 'Sir' again and I'll write you up."

The Cathar's scowl deepened but he jerked his head in a nod. Rian let go of Corso's arm and stuck her hand out towards the glowering sergeant. "We didn't get off on the best terms. You can call me Rian. First round's on me."

Jorgan looked at her suspiciously but finally clasped her hand. "Aric," he muttered, and it took her a moment to realize it must be his name.

"Great," she said, clapping her hands together. "Now that we're all friends, let's get back to the important work of me drinking you all under the table."

The three men looked at her disbelievingly but she just smiled sweetly and went to pay for a taxi.

*****

Jorgan hadn't been happy to see Zeesix either. Viggota had had to grab the Cathar's arm to keep him from going for the blaster at his hip. He shrugged when Jorgan looked at him in disbelief. "He's the bartender, apparently."

Rian pushed Corso towards an empty table. "Get us somewhere to sit. You guys want to start easy, or jump right in?"

Viggota's gaze was challenging. "What's the sense in starting slow?" he asked, and she laughed.

"I'll get the drinks," she said, squirming through the crowd to get to the bar. She leaned over and waved to get Zeesix's attention. "Four Starshine Surprises," she told the droid, pointing to their table. The metal "head" jerked up and down to acknowledge her order and she paid with Garza's credstick before heading for their table.

"I think we need a wager," Viggota said when she settled into the booth beside Corso.

"Oh?" she arched an eyebrow. "What were you thinking of?"

"Last man standing gets dinner bought by the losers." It was a tame bet, but she figured Viggota didn't want to get any of them in trouble - or make things between her and Jorgan worse.

Rian laughed, reaching across the table to shake his hand. "You're on."

She leaned back as the server brought the tray of drinks. She frowned a little to see the scantily-clad Twi'lek woman, but she wasn't wearing a slave collar so maybe she actually wanted to be there. She knew the other three had noticed her reaction so she busied herself handing out the shot glasses.

Corso sniffed cautiously at the pale green liquid and made a face. "This smells like something I'd clean my blasters with, Captain," he said. "What is it?"

She poked him in the shoulder. "Rian." She nudged the glass back up towards his mouth. "I'll tell you after," she said with a wink. "Bottoms up!" She threw the drink back, hearing Corso sputter beside her as he tried to do the same. Across the table, the two soldiers drank theirs quickly and slammed their glasses back on the table.

Viggota was making a horrified face and Jorgan was looking at her with new respect. Corso was coughing and she thumped him between the shoulder blades until he managed to catch his breath. "What was that?" he asked hoarsely.

"Starshine Surprise," she said, grinning at the two soldiers, who had clearly heard of the potent drink before. "Ready for round two?"

"I have to drink another one of those?" Corso asked, eyeing his empty glass mournfully.

"Give him a few minutes to process that one first," Viggota said. "He might not make it to round two."

Rian laughed, leaning against Corso. "Feeling it already, Farm Boy?"

The young man gritted his teeth and sat up straighter. "I'm fine for round two," he said stubbornly.

Viggota grinned and shook his head, but Rian stood up to get the Twi'lek server's attention and held up four fingers. The woman nodded and headed for the bar. "Whose round is this?"

"Mine," Corso said before anyone else could say anything.

They toasted Corso with their new drinks when they arrived, and Rian tilted her head back to let the drink slide down her throat. The initial bitterness faded to a sweet aftertaste and she licked her lips. They were a bit of an acquired taste, but she enjoyed them.

Corso was looking decidedly worse for wear, blinking slowly and already starting to list to the left. She propped her shoulder against his and grinned at him. "All right, Farm Boy?"

He blinked blearily up at her, smiled beatifically, and slowly, dramatically, slid down under the table.

Rian laughed, grabbing for him but missing. "Oops. Help me out, guys," she said, leaning over to pull him back up onto the seat. Viggota helped her to get him laid out on his side next to Rian and she patted his dreadlocks fondly. "I guess he's not used to anything this strong on Ord Mantell."

By the fourth round, even Jorgan had managed to crack a smile. After the sixth, Viggota insisted on showing off his dance moves. He was... enthusiastic. He pulled Rian up to dance with him, and while she had to duck the occasional flailing elbow, it was fun. He had big hands, and seemed fascinated with the way they fit around her hipbones. When he tried to spin her and they both nearly knocked over one of the speaker towers, they decided it was time for a break. She was laughing as she crashed back onto the bench, careful not to sit on Corso. Her balance was starting to get a bit suspect too, but she was still good for more.

"I need the head," Viggota announced after the seventh round. He heaved himself to his feet and wove his way slowly across the cantina towards the refreshers.

Rian stretched her legs out, resting her heels against the opposite bench. She nudged Jorgan lightly with one foot. The Cathar was looking much more relaxed when he glanced over at her. "Hey. I should probably apologize," she said.

Jorgan looked at her in surprise. "For what?"

She looked down at her hands, which were playing with one of her empty shot glasses. "For pissing you off. Vig's right. We need to be able to work together, and not antagonize each other." She was pleased with how little she had slurred any of her words in that little speech. She even meant most of it.

The Cathar shifted uncomfortably, tapping the tips of his claws against his own glass. "Then I need to apologize too."

"Yeah," she said. "You were kind of a dick to me."

Jorgan gaped at her in astonishment. "What? You were a criminal! A criminal who kept escaping from Republic custody!"

"You were still a jerk, though," she said, rubbing her wrists absently. She could still feel the memory of the cuffs there.

"All right," he admitted grudgingly, watching her hands. "I may have been a bit hard on you at times."

"Apology accepted," she said, and he nodded slowly.

Viggota returned just then, the Twi'lek trailing along behind him with the next round of drinks. "You kids playing nice?" he asked, dropping onto the bench beside his sergeant.

Rian and Jorgan both shot him a glare. "Shut up and drink, Vig," she said, grabbing her glass.

After the ninth round, even Rian was feeling the effects. She was glad she and Viggota had gotten the dancing out of the way earlier, because she wasn't entirely sure she'd be able to stand up without support. Viggota looked like it was only his iron grip on the edge of the table that was keeping him upright, and Jorgan was actually being friendly. Corso had started to snore, and she kept checking on him periodically to make sure he didn't end up on the floor again. She was impressed that Viggota was still going. Humans couldn't usually handle more than a couple Starshine Surprises. "Another?" she asked them.

"We don't have a winner yet," Viggota said, waving for the server. He flashed his credstick at the reader and lifted his shot, a look of determination on his face. "Bottoms up." He chugged the shot down, gasping as he dropped the glass to the table, and shook his head slowly. He blinked slowly at Rian and Jorgan, burped quietly, and collapsed onto the table.

Rian blinked at him in astonishment, and Jorgan reached over clumsily to make sure he was still alive. A low snore rumbled out of the soldier's mouth and Rian laughed. "And then there were two," she said, arching an eyebrow at the Cathar.

"I'm game if you are," Jorgan said determinedly.

She waved for the server and propped her elbows on the table. "I have to say, I'm impressed," she told him. "Where did you learn to drink?"

They both downed their next shots, Rian with a grimace and Jorgan with a shudder, before he answered. "I used to be in a squad called the Deadeyes before I was transferred to Havoc," he said, leaning back in the booth and staring off at nothing. "We were snipers, elite marksmen all of us. Our missions could sometimes take weeks at a time, waiting for the perfect shot. We had to be in total control in the field. So we'd blow off steam when we could. We'd do stuff like this in our down times," he said, waving a hand at the scatter of shot glasses on the table. "Never for anything so boring as dinner, though," he said with a low laugh.

"What did you drink for?" Rian asked, waving for another round. She couldn't picture the stoic Jorgan drinking with his troops. He'd seemed so annoyed that Viggota had ordered him to come out with them tonight. It must have been a different environment.

"Leave privileges, prime assignments." Jorgan paused as the Twi'lek server came with the next round. He coughed, embarrassed. "Uh... dares, sometimes."

Rian grinned. This was a totally different side of Jorgan that she hadn't expected. "Oh yeah? Like what?" Jorgan mumbled something into his drink, then threw the shot back with a gasp. Rian leaned across the table towards him. "I didn't hear that," she told him, keeping eye contact as she lifted the glass to her lips and drained it slowly.

Jorgan grunted, shaking his head slowly. He was swaying in his seat and had to brace himself against the edge of the table. "I had to run the obstacle course naked," he enunciated clearly, then his eyes rolled back in his head and he slowly slumped against the wall beside him and started to snore.

She blinked at him, taking a long moment to realize she had won. She whooped softly and waved to the server. "Water, lots of it," she told the Twi'lek woman, helping to load all the empties onto her tray. "And I'll pay extra if you'll keep an eye on these three tonight. I'll be back in the morning."

"I take it you won?" the woman asked, eyes sparkling.

"I so did," Rian crowed, flashing her credstick at the reader and dumping a generous pile of credits on the woman's tray. "They're going to hate me in the morning, but it was worth it." The other woman laughed, sashaying away with the empty shot glasses. Rian rested her head against the back of the booth and let her eyes drift halfway closed. She was definitely drunk, but an hour and a few glasses of water would help with that. She reached for her holo and punched in a familiar frequency, though she waited for the waitress to bring her water and leave again before she hit the call button.

"Rian!" Kyven's seamed face split in a broad grin. "It's been far too long, my lovely!"

"Kyven," she smiled, draining half a glass of water. "You look great."

"You look as beautiful as the stars," he told her. He eyed the glass of water in her hand. "Have you been showing up the boys again, my dear?"

She laughed and nodded. "It's so much fun," she told him and he grinned back at her. "One of them nearly outdid me this time. It was close." She closed her eyes briefly as a wave of dizziness rolled over her.

"As much as I love to see your face, I'm sure this isn't a social call," her old friend said.

"I wish it was. I need some supplies."

"For you, anything."

Rian finished her water and plugged her wrist computer into the holo. "I'll send you the list. I need it all by tomorrow morning."


	12. Chapter 12

Rian was sitting at a table across the cantina the next morning when the three men finally stirred. She had a datapad in one hand, reading the latest intel on the Black Sun and the responses to her inquiries the day before. A half-eaten plate of marlello eggs and fruit sat in front of her, and she lifted another forkful to her mouth as she watched Corso sit up slowly, clutching at his head. He looked around slowly, blinking in surprise at the two unconscious soldiers across from him and looking around in a panic when he realized Rian was gone.

His eyes finally found her across the room and she waved cheerfully. He pushed himself to his feet with a groan and staggered over to collapse in the booth across from her. "Morning, Farm Boy," she said with a grin, earning her a glare.

"How can you be so blasted cheerful, Captain?" he asked, trying to stretch a kink out of his neck. "What was in that stuff?"

She waved a hand at the server - a slender red-headed Human woman this morning, wearing a few more clothes than the Twi'lek from the night before. "I'm used to it," she said, lifting her water glass and showing three fingers. The other two would be awake soon and they'd need it.

"You're used to that?" Corso peered at her through his fingers and groaned softly. "Am I gonna have to get used to it too when you get your ship back?"

She chuckled quietly, patting his dreadlocks gently. "Not if you don't want to, Corso."

He sighed, pillowing his head on his arms. "So you won, I take it?" He looked up at her and she nodded. "How many rounds?"

"Vig lasted ten, Jorgan twelve."

Corso gaped up at her in astonishment. "You drank twelve rounds of that and you're still alive?"

She grinned, leaning back when the server brought the water. "And showered and dressed. Drink up; you'll feel better." She slid a glass across the table towards him and watched him drink it slowly.

By the time he finished the glass, Viggota and Jorgan were waking up as well. Viggota noted her change of clothes - a pair of sturdy brown pants and grey top - with a frown but accepted a glass of water without comment. Jorgan arched a sharp brow at her and she shrugged at him.

She didn't expect any of them to want to eat but the two soldiers surprised her by ordering breakfast. Corso ducked his head against his arms again when the food came, looking a little green. She finished off her eggs and leaned back to watch the others. They were clearly all stiff from their awkward sleeping positions the night before. Corso at least had had the benefit of laying on the bench but Viggota and Jorgan were moving quite gingerly. She had managed almost six full hours of sleep in a proper bed, and was feeling perfectly fine.

She looked up when the door opened and grinned to see Kyven. Her friend was leaning on a cane but smiled broadly. "Captain! So good to see you!"

She jumped up and hurried to greet him. He pulled her into a warm hug. "You too. Were you able to get everything?"

"Yes, of course," he replied.

"I knew you would," she said with a smile, pulling him to the table. "Have a seat. Have you eaten yet?" Kyven shook his head and she waved for the server. "This is Kyven," she said, gesturing around the table. "Corso, Viggota, Aric."

Corso peered up through his hair but didn't lift his head. Viggota was watching her curiously, while Jorgan looked suspicious. "What's this about?" the Cathar asked bluntly. "Another of your smuggler pals?"

Rian frowned darkly at him. "Absolutely not. Kyven owns a droid manufacturing facility. I had asked him for some supplies we'll need," she said, waving to the server and waiting until Kyven had ordered before continuing. "Eat up. We need to get moving soon."

Viggota checked his wrist computer and his eyebrows rose when he saw that it was already mid-morning. "I take it you've managed to get some more information."

Rian nodded, stretching her legs out and crossing them at the ankle. "Kixi's being held in a converted warehouse in one of the Black Sun-controlled sectors. I've got some imaging scans of the area and the latest data on cameras and patrols." She passed her datapad over to the two soldiers.

Viggota raised his eyebrows in surprise and nodded, impressed. "Good job. We'll go over it in more detail after we finish up here." He glanced around, but no one was close enough to overhear them. "We'll need to head back to base to gear up anyways."

Rian just grinned wider. "No, you won't."

*****

Kyven had brought a delivery speeder, and he thumbed the hatch open with a magician's flair. Rian was watching Viggota and Jorgan and saw their jaws drop as they peered inside. She glanced over, but she knew Kyven would have arranged everything she had asked for.

There were two full suits of durasteel armour, looking scuffed and mismatched despite actually being brand new. There was no way the two soldiers could have worn their Republic gear into gang territory. They'd have been the targets of every scum that caught a glimpse of them. A pair of nondescript assault cannons were racked above the armour. Rian knew that they would be impeccably maintained and of much higher quality than their rough exteriors hinted at, but having shiny new tech in the Undercity was like waving a red flag in front of an Uxibeast. It was best not to tempt fate.

Kyven had brought armour for her as well, a sleek, flexible plasteel-studded jacket and matching pants. She hopped up into the back of the vehicle and pulled the jacket on over her shirt. It fit perfectly, and gave her all the freedom of movement she would need. She ducked behind a crate to change into the tight-fitting pants and buckled her boots on over them. The blue and brown leatheris and the pale grey plasteel panels were slightly scuffed, as if she'd worn them for months rather than minutes. Kyven's people had done their jobs to perfection. She belted on the blaster Viggota had given her and hopped down out of the speeder.

"Great job, Kyven," she said, giving him a hug. "It's perfect."

Her old friend waved her off with a smile. "It's the least I could do," he told her.

"It's more than you needed to do," she murmured quietly to him. 

"You're my friend, Rian," he told her quietly. "I know you'd do the same for me." She looked down to hide her expression from him. She hadn't told him they were headed for Justicar territory. She would look for his grandson, but she didn't want him to get his hopes up. A year was a long time, and the kid was probably dead.

Corso was standing awkwardly beside the speeder, eyes going from her and Kyven to Viggota and Jorgan. The two soldiers were helping each other into their armour, carefully examining each piece before they snapped it into place. She patted Kyven's arm quickly and walked over to bump shoulders with Corso. "All right, Farm Boy?"

"I don't much like the thought that you're going into danger with no one to watch your back, Captain," he told her. She opened her mouth to tell him she would be fine but he held up a hand to stop her. "Look, I know why you're sending me home. I don't agree with it, but I understand why you think you're doing it. I just don't want you to get hurt. You promised me you'd come and find me again, so I want to make sure you're still breathing to keep that promise. So... I wanted to give you this." He hesitated and then drew his blaster pistol, holding it out carefully to her. "This here is a SoroSuub SSK heavy blaster. It's cut for a quick draw and got a hair trigger. I call it 'Flashy'. Flashy's the first blaster I ever owned. I want you to have it."

Rian looked up at him in surprise, but he was sincere, his brown eyes soft as he looked down at her. "Corso, I can't take this! Your first blaster?"

He shook his head, holding it out again. "I've never met a lady like you before, Captain. Got a vested interest in keeping you spry and lively."

He was blushing hard, but also looked determined, so she reached out and wrapped her fingers around the grip. It fit well into her hand. He had taken good care of it. "You're sweet, Farm Boy," she told him, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Thank you." His blush deepened. It seemed he had gone and gotten a crush on her. It was probably just as well that they were going to be apart for a bit, to give him a chance to get over that. She didn't do relationships.

"Just make sure you take good care of yourself, all right? You made me a promise."

"So I did." Behind her, Viggota and Jorgan sounded like they were just about ready. She could hear them checking the ammo packs of their new assault cannons. "And I intend to keep it. So you take care of yourself too. I'll be back for you as soon as I can." She gave him a quick hug, then twirled Flashy around her finger and gave him a wink as she clipped it opposite her other blaster.

She left Corso standing with Kyven, knowing her old friend would make sure Corso got safely to his shuttle, and led Viggota and Jorgan deeper into the Undercity.

*****

"How did you do it?" Jorgan asked her. She had found them a deserted warehouse to hole up in - they were all too common in Coruscant's lower levels - and they had just finished going over the data she had gotten from her contacts. Viggota looked over at him curiously.

She looked up from tucking away her datapad. "The intel? Just a matter of knowing the right people."

The Cathar was shaking his head and rapped a gauntleted fist on his chest plate. "The armour."

"Same answer," she replied with a grin. She pulled on her gloves and buckled them in place.

He shook his head again, looking vaguely disconcerted. "But it _fits_."

She chuckled quietly, patting the top of his head. He jerked back disapprovingly. "A girl's got to have _some_ secrets, Jorgan."

He scowled at her but Viggota held up his hand before either of them could say any more. "Behave, children." He shook his head. "Though I want to know that answer too."

Rian rolled her eyes. "I scanned you after you passed out last night. I know how important it is that armour fits properly. Kyven just needed the scans to manufacture it."

Viggota laughed softly. "Well, I appreciate it. Though, whose debt have you put us in now?"

"No one's!" she replied indignantly. "Kyven is a legitimate businessman, and an old friend. I paid him for a rush job and he delivered." She shot a dark look at Jorgan, who didn't look like he believed her. "Look, if I just ran illegal jobs all the time, I'd have been caught a long time ago. Every spaceport I put into would have a red flag pop when I radioed for a docking request because I would either have no shipping history, or a faked one. Legitimate jobs are the best cover for illegal activities. So I'd say probably eighty-five percent of what I run is legit." The percentage might not be that high, but it was close enough for them.

"I've taken medical supplies to war zones, delivered food or seeds when crops have failed, and ferried passengers off of ships and stations in distress. Yes, I charge for my time, because running a ship is expensive. We can't all be funded by the great and glorious Republic, you know. And yes, I've smuggled people and goods before. It pays well, and sometimes just because something's illegal doesn't always mean it's wrong. I've freed innocent people from prison when they were sent there by corrupt judges and gotten them off-planet, and run Republic blockades to get food and medicines to refugee camps. Just because their governments won't agree to the Republic's terms doesn't mean those people should be left to starve and die."

The Cathar looked surprised and sat back on his heels to digest her speech. It was true, all of it. She may have left out a few of her less savoury jobs, but she'd never taken a job that she truly disagreed with. Credits weren't always worth it.

Viggota cleared his throat awkwardly. "We should get moving," he said, and Rian stood gratefully. She hadn't meant to go on a tirade like that, but she was sick of Jorgan looking at her like she was something he'd scraped off his boot. The big trooper squeezed her upper arm with a reassuring hand before heading for the door, fastening his helmet in place as he went. Rian started to follow him, but Jorgan caught her arm gently and she turned to look at him. He looked almost embarrassed and was unwilling to meet her eyes.

"Look... I'm sorry. I didn't know all that stuff, but I shouldn't have just dismissed you as a criminal." His mouth twisted like he had tasted something sour. "I mean... I know you're a criminal, but I shouldn't have let that be the only thing I thought about you. I don't really know you, but I guess you're not a bad person."

Rian finally took pity on him as he stumbled to a stop. "Not all the time, anyways," she said with a grin. Humour was her best defence. She really didn't know what else to say to him. He was trying, sort of.

He surprised her with a laugh before he reached up to fasten his helmet. "Let's go," he said, his tone of voice unreadable through the speaker.


	13. Chapter 13

Rian's contacts had been good enough that they had managed to get deep into Black Sun territory without being stopped. The checkpoint had been laughably easy to avoid, since the gangsters had neglected to block off an alley two blocks away that completely bypassed it. Once they were inside, the two helmeted soldiers with their enormous guns were an excellent deterrent to any gangsters that might otherwise have been tempted by a lone woman. Even the larger groups that loitered on the corners didn't bother them. Rian was a big believer in the idea that if you looked like you belonged, no one would question you.

The warehouse where Kixi was supposedly being held was just up ahead. It was tucked away down a dead-end street, with only one entrance that she could see. There were a pair of guards on the door and a security camera blinking above it. Rian hid a scowl as she kept walking casually past.

She found a quiet corner and leaned back against the wall, trying to look inconspicuous. "What do you guys think?" she asked the soldiers quietly. "I don't like the looks of that. Frontal assaults aren't really my thing."

Viggota's helmet bobbed as he nodded. "We should try to keep this quiet anyways. They might move her before we can get to her if we're not careful." The speaker on the helmet gave his voice a mechanical quality.

"Or kill her," Rian pointed out. The two soldiers were silent, and she couldn't read their expressions through their helmets, but it was true. She knew how the Black Sun operated. They'd sooner kill the slicer than let her be taken. She knew too many of their secrets. "Let's circle around. My intel didn't show any other entrances, but I want to have a look for myself." She got a pair of nods in response and pushed herself off the wall again.

It didn't look promising. Most of the exterior walls were blank slabs of durasteel. There were a pair of loading docks at the back, but the doors had been welded shut. She didn't see any other doors, though there was evidence that they had been blocked off by more durasteel panels welded into place. She swore softly in frustration. It looked like they only had one option.

Jorgan tapped her elbow lightly to get her attention. "What about up there?" He jerked a thumb casually towards the roof of the building.

"I guess it depends how thorough they were," she said, surveying the edge of the roof. "Worth a look, though."

It took a bit of searching, but they finally found a way up. One of the neighbouring buildings had a fire escape, and it was only a couple of feet away from Kixi's warehouse. Rian eyed the jump and then the two heavily-armoured soldiers. "Do you think you can make that?" she asked.

Viggota tilted his head to survey the gap. "I think so," he said, glancing at Jorgan for confirmation. The Cathar was nodding, so she shrugged and backed up a few paces to get a running start. She checked to make sure her pistols were securely holstered, then went for it.

She took a half-dozen running strides and then leaped over the gap, letting herself roll with the impact on the other side. She pushed herself to her feet and brushed herself off, then signalled for the two soldiers to wait. "Let me check it out first," she murmured into her communicator. "There's no sense in you guys coming over if you don't have to." She cut the connection quickly and saw Viggota jerk in surprise out of the corner of her eye. She was sure he didn't agree with her plan, but there wasn't much he could do about it now.

The rooftop was a maze of ventilation shafts and access hatches. Most of them were small, too small for the two soldiers to fit into, though she probably could have managed. She saw a couple of promising ones, but found them to be tightly sealed.

She ducked around a shaft holding a massive, whirring fan and then threw herself quickly back into cover at the sight of a repair droid bent over a second, partially disassembled fan. The droid didn't seem to have noticed her, so she risked another peek.

The spindly creature had the fan casing open and three of the four fan blades detached so it could reach the motor underneath. Rian grinned as she noted the size of the shaft. Even Viggota could easily fit through this one.

The droid had its back to her and with some noisy tool running it would be child's play for her to get close enough to disable it without it noticing. She had her vibroblade out and was almost close enough to spring when heavy footsteps from behind her alerted the droid. It swivelled towards her and beeped in alarm. She swore creatively and flicked the switch to set the blade humming. She ducked under the droid's clumsy swing and drove her knife downwards into the side of its neck. By luck, she managed to hit the main processing core and the thing collapsed. She whirled around before it had even hit the ground, both blasters clearing their holsters almost faster than the eye could follow. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she turned to face the new threat.

Viggota and Jorgan stood opposite her. Both soldiers had their assault cannons out but had the barrels pointed downwards. She swore again and slammed her blasters into their holsters. "What do you think you're doing?" she hissed angrily, just barely remembering to keep her voice down.

Viggota straightened and flipped his faceplate up. "What do you mean, what are we doing? What were _you_ doing?"

"Finding us a way in!" she snapped, turning her back on him and dropping to a knee to retrieve her knife. She inspected the blade for damage before sliding it back into the top of her boot.

"That wasn't the plan!" He sounded furious, and she pushed herself back to her feet and turned to look at him again. "You agreed to work with us," he snapped at her, advancing on her with a glare. "Stop trying to prove you can do it all yourself. This is a team, and you need to learn that!"

Rian took a step back so she didn't have to crane her neck up as much to meet his eyes. "First of all, I didn't agree - I was coerced. Second of all, I was the best choice to scout this out. I'm not one of your dumb grunts, Viggota. Don't treat me like one."

Viggota bit down on his anger with some effort. "No heroics," he said, jabbing a finger towards her. "You're part of my team now, and I'm responsible for you. You're not on your own." He sighed and stepped back, softening his voice. "Work with us," he said. "Let us help you. You don't have to prove yourself to us; we know you're resourceful. But we're here to help each other, so why won't you let us?"

She backed up a couple of quick paces, rubbing nervously at her upper arms. She was too unsettled to think of something flip to say, so she said nothing. She wasn't sure what the problem was anyways. She had been the best person for the job, and would have gotten it done easily if he and Jorgan hadn't interfered. She was the one who had nearly gotten killed, after all.

Viggota sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. "Rian, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just… what if there were guards up here? I know you can handle yourself, but what if you got ambushed, or swarmed? We wouldn't have known anything was wrong, and you would have just vanished. Can you at least keep your blasted communicator on so we know you're still alive?"

She looked up at him in surprise. She thought he had been annoyed that she was showing him up, or ignored the chain of command or something like that. She hadn't realized he was worried. She had to cough to clear her throat so her voice would come out sounding normal. She wasn't used to people worrying about her. "Sorry. I didn't think of it that way."

The big soldier looked down at her in silence for a few moments, and then nodded. "Just... try to remember you're not on your own here, okay?" He waited for her to nod in return and then reached over his shoulder to hook his gun back into place. "Show us what you found."

She was glad to turn away so she could get her thoughts back under control. She had gotten so used to being on her own since Joro and Lia had left that she had forgotten what it felt like to have backup.

*****

Jorgan had rigged up a line and a pulley system to lower the three of them into the air vent. Rian was against leaving the line there, but it wasn't much more of a red flag than the destroyed droid was. And it wasn't like she was going to volunteer to stay behind to guard their exit anyways.

Viggota had insisted on going first, and she could see the lights on his helmet panning across the walls as Jorgan lowered him down. He descended about ten metres before his boots struck bottom and he unclipped the harness. "You next," Jorgan said, reeling the cable back in. Rian just nodded, and let the Cathar buckle the harness around her hips.

She braced one gloved hand against the wall as Jorgan lowered her down but the cable unwound smoothly and it was only a few minutes before her boots touched down. Viggota was crouched awkwardly at the bottom, trying to fit himself into the duct that ran off from the vertical shaft. It wasn't even tall enough for him to crawl through.

"You're never going to be able to fit through there," Rian said, crouching down next to him and unclipping her harness. She pulled a small hand light from one of the pouches at her belt.

Viggota pulled off his helmet with a grimace. "Not quickly, or quietly."

Rian sat back on her heels, looking around. The space at the bottom of the shaft was about four feet square, with a pair of horizontal ducts running off from it. She flattened herself down and peered down the one opposite Viggota, her hand light drawing stark shadows in the gloom. She squinted against the glare and then flicked it off. After a moment to let her eyes adjust she could see it - light shining up through a grille in the duct.

"I might have something," she told Viggota. "There's a grille down this way. Let me go have a look, make sure we're even in the right spot. If not, there's no sense in trying to get you guys through here."

Viggota chewed on his lip for a moment and nodded reluctantly. "Okay, but keep your comm line open. And no heroics!"

She nodded, his rebuke from the roof still fresh in her mind. She too a moment to rearrange her gear, sliding her pistols around to rest against her spine. She couldn't quite crawl through the duct either, but she could stay a lot more upright than Viggota could. It was still a difficult slither-slide, especially since she was trying to do it as quietly as possible. The warehouse had been lightly guarded from the outside, but none of her sources had had any information on how much activity there might be inside.

The grille wasn't far away, but it took her the better part of five heart-pounding minutes to make her way to it and her knees and elbows were feeling the strain when she finally stretched out flat beside it. She gave herself a moment to catch her breath and then inched forwards to look down.

The cavernous space beneath her looked like it was mostly used for storage. Crates were piled nearly to the ceiling in places. She couldn't see any guards from where she lay, but neither could she see an exit, though she knew there had to be at least one.

She thumbed on her communicator and murmured quietly into it. Just because she couldn't see any guards from her position didn't mean there weren't any. "Looks pretty good. I think it's a storeroom. I don't see anyone from where I am."

"Do you think we can get through there?" Viggota asked, his voice quiet too.

"I think so," she replied, eyeing the size of the grating. "It might be a tight squeeze, though. But I should be able to get this off without too much trouble." She squirmed around to pat at her pockets and soon found her utility tool. She could hear movement from behind her as Jorgan climbed down the shaft. She crawled over the grate to work on the far bolts first.

She winced with every thump and muffled curse coming from behind her. As she had suspected, neither Viggota nor Jorgan were able to crawl properly through the ducts and had to resort to wiggling along on their stomachs. Their durasteel armour grated against the metal of the ducts and their knees and elbows banged against the sides as they moved. Their luck held, though, because no alarm was raised.

By the time Viggota's hand closed around her ankle, she had most of the bolts loose. "Almost done," she told him. "Just two more." She reached back along her body and handed him the end of the cord she was using to keep the grille from falling into the warehouse below. "Hold this, and don't let go."

She felt his fingers wrap around it and turned back to her task. It was easier now that she didn't have to worry about holding the grating in place and it wasn't long before it came loose. She tucked her tools and the bolts away in a pocket and reached out to carefully wiggle the grate cover in through the hole. She set it down on the floor of the duct on the other side of the opening and stuck her head through the hole.

Now that she could see the entire room she could confirm that there weren't any guards. There were two exits that she could see - a loading bay that looked like one of the ones that had been welded shut, and a set of broad doors that she hoped led into the rest of the building. They were currently closed, but she could see lights blinking on the door controls so they shouldn't be hard to open.

"Looks clear," she said to Viggota. "I'm going in."

The big man made a sound of assent behind her and she wiggled forward into the hold head-first. It was a bit of a flashy move, but she wouldn't have done it if she didn't have confidence in herself. She let gravity pull her body down gradually through the hole, hands still clamped tightly on the edge. Once her legs were through she unfolded slowly until she hung full-length from her fingertips. Her toes didn't quite reach the stacked crates but the drop was only a couple of inches. She landed as softly as she could and dropped into a crouch. The lights by the doors continued to blink serenely and she cautiously straightened. No motion sensors. They obviously weren't expecting trouble to come in this way.

"Clear?" Viggota asked from above her and she nodded. "Good. Take this."

She looked up and grinned to see him handing down his assault cannon. "Can't fit?" She imagined the glare he must be giving her behind his faceplate and grinned wider as she reached up for it. It was heavy, but not so much that she couldn't handle it. She climbed down a level of crates and propped it up carefully so it wouldn't fall.

Rian could hear Viggota grunting and cursing above her as he tried to squeeze his armoured bulk through the hole, and she bit back a grin. It took a lot of willpower not to look up, but she knew she would probably start laughing if she did. And besides, someone had to keep an eye out for trouble. It wasn't like Viggota was particularly stealthy, and she didn't want to be caught unawares if his attempts at acrobatics attracted any attention.

Finally, she heard his boots thump down onto the crates above her. He reached down for his assault cannon, hefting it easily in one hand and clipping into place on his back. His armour bore some fresh scratches from squeezing his way through the opening and she was sure he was scowling beneath his faceplate. "We're going to have to see if we can find another way out. I'm not sure I could do that again, especially with gravity working against me."

Rian made a face. "Good point. Okay, I'll keep an eye out for a Plan B."

She hopped down the stack of crates while Viggota helped Jorgan through the opening. The Cathar was slightly smaller and more nimble, but he still needed to hand his assault cannon down first. Viggota helped him to wrestle the grille back mostly into place after he was through. It looked okay for a casual inspection, Rian mused from the ground level, though it was slightly crooked. Hopefully the Black Sun guards didn't spend a lot of time looking up.

Rian was already at the door, tapping curiously at the computer panel, when the soldiers joined her. "I thought you weren't any good at slicing," Jorgan said as he watched her navigate through the screens.

"I never said I wasn't any good at it," she said casually. "I can do it, if I have to. There are lots of people who are better at it than me, though." She ran a finger down the list on the screen. "But I didn't even have to do anything. Half the system is unlocked. I just wanted access to the internal scanners."

The Cathar grunted from behind her. "This feels like a trap."

"It does a little bit, doesn't it?" Rian mused, tapping her gloved fingers on the edge of the terminal. "I don't see anything suspicious, though. If it is a trap, it's very subtle. They haven't even got cameras hooked into the system, so they wouldn't see us even if we let Vig dance his way through the halls."

She thought she heard Jorgan snort with laughter, but it might just have been static through his helmet's speaker. Viggota coughed, face carefully blank under his raised visor. "How would they even know to expect us?" he asked, changing the subject.

"They shouldn't," Rian replied. "Kri-Sek is the only person who knows I'm looking for Kixi, and I trust him not to sell me out. Kyven knew we were coming into Black Sun territory, but he would never have dealings with them. He wouldn't have told anyone else. There's always the chance that someone overheard something and contacted the Black Sun, but if that was the case I expect we'd have hit resistance by now." She shrugged, clearing the screen and turning to face the two soldiers. "It's your call, Vig. As far as I can tell, they don't know we're here."

Viggota glanced at Jorgan, but the Cathar's expression was unreadable under his visor. "I say we keep going. We don't have the luxury of time to retreat and plan another assault. If we encounter resistance, we'll deal with it then."

Rian and Jorgan both nodded, and Viggota gestured for Rian to open the door, snapping his face plate down and lifting his assault cannon to cover her. She checked her blasters in their thigh holsters and reached for the door controls. "Ready?"

Viggota tightened his grip on his assault cannon and nodded. "Hit it."

The doors slid open, revealing a short hallway that split into a T-junction. Rian pointed towards the left fork and let the two soldiers lead the way. They paused at the intersection, each of them taking one side of the hallway but there was no one there. The building was quiet save for the faint hum of the air circulation machinery.

They took the right fork at the next intersection. Rian could hear faint voices down the left fork, but it didn't sound like a patrol. She could hear laughter and the clatter of dice. As long as the three of them kept a low profile, they shouldn't attract any attention from that quarter.

"Through here," Rian said, pointing at a reinforced door at the end of the hallway. "It's locked from the outside, but the logs show a delivery of a high-end computer system a few months ago." She shrugged when Jorgan tilted his head at her. "Best guess. It's the only delivery of that type to this warehouse."

"It's all we've got to go on," Viggota said, checking the charge on his assault cannon. "Do you think you can get the door open?"

Rian slipped her hand into one of the pouches on her belt and pulled out a data spike. She had come prepared this time, remembering the debacle on the Imperial ship. "Pretty confident."

The big soldier chuckled. "Good. Let's move."

Viggota and Jorgan took up positions behind her in the hallway, looking back the way they came. Rian tried the door controls but wasn't surprised when she wasn't able to open it on her own. It was passcode locked, as she had expected.

There was a faint beep when the data spike sliced the lock and the doors hissed open. Rian looked up to meet the startled gaze of a young Mirialan woman. Her black hair was cut into a flattering bob around her green-skinned face, and she was backed up against a very expensive-looking bank of computer equipment. "Who are you?" she asked, casting about as if she was looking for a weapon but the room was bare other than the computer and a low cot tucked into a corner.

"I'm Rian. I assume you want out of here?" She heard the soldiers shifting behind her, but thankfully they stayed put. Kixi looked nervous enough without two enormous, armed men barging in to her space.

The young woman's face lit up and Rian found herself grinning too. "Absolutely. Can you give me a minute? I've had a special surprise ready for this."

Rian chuckled. "Something nasty, I assume?"

"As nasty as the Black Sun themselves." The two women shared a grin and Rian nodded. Anything that would make life more difficult for the gangsters was a plus in her books. "Awesome." Kixi's black hair spun around her cheekbones as she whirled back towards the computer.

True to her word, it only took a few minutes before she was done planting her surprise. "Ready?" Rian asked and the young Mirialan nodded. "Let's go."


	14. Chapter 14

Kixi was fearless. Getting her up through the ventilation shaft had been one of the easiest things Rian had ever done. Getting the two troopers back up through the grate was torturous. Viggota had wanted to look for another exit but Rian had argued that they shouldn't try to fix what wasn't broken. They knew that this route was unguarded, and they didn't want to alert anyone to what they were doing. Still, Rian was sure that at any moment the doors would slide open and blaster fire would cut them down where they stood but their luck held. There was one tense moment when Viggota had managed to get himself wedged into a corner while trying to turn around but Kixi had leaped in to help, nimble fingers unbuckling Viggota's armour plates until he could twist himself free. Getting the armour back _on_ him before climbing up the last shaft had been a bit of a challenge but they had managed.

Rian buckled herself back into the harness to follow Kixi to the roof. Jorgan had gone first, climbing the line hand over hand with a strength that Rian envied and radioed down the all-clear. It was too much good luck to expect, and Rian found herself chewing on her lips as Jorgan worked the pulleys to hoist her up. She had learned early on in her line of work that "too easy" usually meant "trap".

The rooftop looked exactly the same. The damaged droid hadn't been moved at all. She looked around but didn't spot any eyes or cameras on them. Still, the space between her shoulder blades crawled. This had all gone far too well.

Kixi was crouched with her back against another ventilation shaft, elbows resting on her knees as she looked around curiously. Jorgan had dropped the harness back down for Viggota to strap in, and Rian saw the Cathar's faceplate turn towards her.

"Don't say it," she warned, hearing his intake of breath over her communicator. "If you jinx this mission I will get you drunk again and shave all your fur off." Kixi giggled behind her and Jorgan's shoulders stiffened. "I mean it. Let's just finish this and get out of here."

*****

Of course, the universe had it in for them. They were barely halfway along their planned route when Rian found herself grappling hand-to-hand with a whip-thin but surprisingly strong Human man that had dropped down onto her from above as their party snuck through an alley on their way back to Republic-controlled space. She could hear fighting from behind her but couldn't spare a glance to see what was going on. She wasn't sure where her guns were - she had gone for them right away but her opponent had knocked them out of her hands before she could even get a shot off. She knew how to fight without them, but it didn't mean she had to like it.

She ducked under a spinning kick that was aimed at her head, feeling her opponent's boot graze one of her _lekku_. It was an unpleasant sensation, and she paid him back with a sharp elbow to the inside of his thigh. He swore at her and jumped back before she could follow up with another blow. He regarded her with new respect as he noted her stance and started to circle to her left. She pivoted slowly to keep him in view and backed up a pace to put the alley wall at her back in case he was trying to distract her.

A shout of pain drew her attention and she flicked her gaze to the side. Kixi was stumbling away from a scruffy-looking man, clutching at her left biceps. Blood oozed slowly over her fingers. Viggota was sprawled unmoving on the ground behind her, a bent pipe lying beside his body. He had had time to draw his assault cannon but not use it, and it was lying where it had fallen a few feet away. With all the armour he was wearing, Rian couldn't tell if he was still breathing or not.

Jorgan had his back to the wall opposite her and was grappling with two enormous men. One of them had a hold of his assault cannon and the Cathar couldn't pull it free to get off a shot, but he clearly didn't want to let his opponent have it either. Two other men were between them and the alley's far end, one holding a knife that glistened with Kixi's blood and the other with a blaster. He was trying to get a clear shot at Jorgan but the Cathar was working hard to keep the other two thugs in the way.

Rian jerked her gaze back to her own fight just in time to block a punch that probably would have broken her nose. She was glad for the wall at her back as she rocked backwards with the force of it. Her forearm stung but she pushed off the wall for a return punch of her own. It backed the man off just enough that she was able to yank her vibroblade out of her boot and flick it on. The man took a step back and she grinned fiercely at him. It wasn't a blaster, but it should be enough to finish this.

A blaster bolt skated off the wall above her head and she ducked involuntarily. Her opponent took the opening and surged forward. His fist grazed across her cheek as she stepped hastily to the side and struck out with her knife. The blade just barely skimmed his arm but he broke away with blood starting to darken his sleeve. She pressed her advantage ruthlessly, backing him across the alley with a flurry of strikes. Bloody lines appeared on his arms and hands as he tried to keep her from getting a killing blow in. He was good, but her knife was starting to make the difference.

She feinted with her knife and drove her heel into his knee when he moved to block her hands. She felt bone crunch under her boot and he screamed. The sound cut off with a gurgle when she drove her knife forward over his failing guard and into the side of his neck. Blood spurted out over her hands before she could pull back, and she yanked the knife free as her opponent fell.

Kixi was looking up at her with wide eyes, hand still clamped around the wound in her arm. Jorgan was fighting three opponents now, the knife-wielder having joined the fray since Kixi hadn't moved after getting injured. Only the Cathar's heavy armour was keeping him alive, as none of the men fighting him had anything that could get through the durasteel plates. They didn't seem particularly well-equipped, with only one blaster and one knife between the five of them. It wasn't even a vibroblade. Their clothing was similarly poor, dirty and much-mended. They seemed well-fed, though, which puzzled her even as she cast about for her blasters. They were healthy and strong, but she couldn't explain why they were so badly equipped. If they were strong enough to make sure they were getting enough food, they should be strong enough to take weapons if they wanted them. But then again, none of them had gone for Viggota's discarded assault cannon, or the blaster pistol on his belt. And her opponent had been an excellent hand-to-hand fighter. Maybe they just preferred to fight without weapons.

The man with the blaster took another shot at her and she ducked, rolling into cover behind a scarred plasteel crate. The faded markings on the side indicated that it held military ration bars but when she shoved her shoulder against it, it moved so easily she knew that it was empty.

Another shriek from Kixi made Rian risk a quick glance around the crate. The man with the blaster had pulled her to her feet by her hair and he had the barrel of his pistol pressed to her cheek. Kixi was clawing ineffectually at his hand, leaving streaks of blood across his dirty skin.

"Give up, or I'll put a hole right through her pretty face!" he shouted, yanking on her hair hard enough to make her stumble.

Jorgan blocked a knife strike with his free arm, still trying to yank his assault cannon free with the other. Rian could see fresh scratches marring the paint work on his armour. He was slowly losing the fight. "Let her go. What do you want with us?"

"Your credits would be a good start," the man leered, jabbing his gun harder against Kixi's face. "Drop your weapons, or I'll shoot." He flicked his gaze to Rian's hiding spot. "Both of you. Right now!"

Rian rolled her eyes. Common thieves. They had managed to get in and out of a Black Sun-controlled warehouse without firing a shot, only to be taken unawares by these idiots. "Fine!" she called back, mind racing. Viggota was only an arm's length from her crate. Could she get to his assault cannon before Kixi got shot? Maybe, but she would need a distraction. "We'll hand over what we've got on us if you promise that you'll let us go."

The man snorted a laugh, tightening his grip as Kixi squirmed. "Sure, we'll go with that."

That was about what she had expected. She eyed the distance to Viggota's gun again and flicked the switch to turn her vibroknife off. She knew the man would have heard the humming stop. "Okay, I'm coming out. Let her go, and you can have me instead."

The man laughed, an unpleasant sound. "Have you forgotten that I'm the one with the blaster? I think I'll just keep you both."

Rian clenched her teeth, hearing Jorgan snarl in response. She had hoped that the man would be dumb enough to fall for the "willing hostage" routine but it seemed their luck wasn't that good. Her mind raced as she tried to come up with another solution. If she only had her blasters! She was more than good enough to take him out before he could shoot Kixi. But she only had her knife, and with him hiding behind Kixi she didn't have a good angle on a one-shot kill. Anything less and he'd shoot Kixi before Rian could get close enough to stop him. She swore under her breath in Mando'a and shifted her grip on her knife. She would have to hope she could get to Viggota's gun in time.

A clattering noise from overhead distracted her from her thoughts and she risked a glance around the edge of the crate. All four of the remaining thugs were looking up in confusion. She wouldn't get a better chance than this. She flung her knife hard at the man holding Kixi but didn't stop to see if it hit. Viggota's cannon was heavy and she had to drop to one knee to lever it up to firing position.

Her knife had struck the man in the leg and was buried deep in the muscle of his thigh. It had been the best target she could hit since most of his head and torso had been concealed behind Kixi. He shouted in pain and jerked backwards. His grip on Kixi's hair pulled her along with him and she threw her weight against him hard enough to make him stumble and fall. His blaster clattered out of his hand when Kixi drove the back of his head hard against the ground. Rian saw the slicer going for the gun and turned her attention to the rest of the thugs.

Jorgan was backed up against the wall of the alley. The man with the knife had managed to find a chink in the Cathar's armour and the outside of his right leg was sheeted with blood. Luckily it looked like the blade had gotten stuck between the durasteel plates, which meant the man was now disarmed. Still, with Jorgan injured the three men were starting to turn the tide. Even as Rian swung Viggota's cannon around towards them one of them pulled Jorgan's weapon from his grasp. He lunged forward to try to reclaim it before they could turn it on him but pulled up abruptly when Rian barked, "Back!" into her communicator.

She squeezed the trigger even as Jorgan's shoulders slammed back against the wall. The cannon jerked in her hands and spat a line of heavy blaster fire across the alley. She cursed as it nearly knocked her off balance but the sudden assault was enough to startle the thug into dropping Jorgan's weapon. She wrestled the heavy gun back into line to take another shot but found she didn't need to.

One of the men went flying backwards to slam into the opposite wall. He slumped down to the ground and Rian didn't much care if he was unconscious or dead. The other two were definitely dead. Rian barely heard a pause between the two shots that felled them with neat, smoking holes in their foreheads.

She jerked Viggota's gun up, scanning the tops of the buildings around them. The shots had definitely come from above. Jorgan dropped to one knee to retrieve his assault cannon and she heard his grunt of pain clearly through her earpiece. Kixi was across the alley from her, tucked behind another crate with the fallen thug's pistol gripped tightly in her hands.

Rian felt the skin between her shoulders prickle and jerked her head around to see movement at the top of the wall almost directly above her. She had just started to heave the heavy gun upwards when a familiar voice called down to her. "Don't shoot!"

She lowered the barrel of the gun to rest on the ground and dropped her face into her hand. "That had better not be you, Farm Boy," she grumbled.

*****

By the time a sheepish-looking Corso had climbed down from the rooftops, followed by a serene-looking Lomning, Viggota had regained consciousness. He seemed unfocused and confused when Jorgan tried to talk to him and Lomning frowned and folded his bulk down to sit cross-legged on the damp ground beside him, heedless of his robes. Rian set the heavy assault cannon beside its proper owner and slanted an irritated look at Corso before stalking off to find her blasters.

Her pistol was easy enough to find, tucked just behind a pile of refuse that she didn't want to examine too closely, but she couldn't find Flashy anywhere. Someone cleared their throat behind her and she turned to see Corso holding the blaster out towards her with a tentative smile. "You all right, Captain?"

"Just fine," she said, taking the gun from him with ill grace. It didn't look damaged, just a bit dirty, but that wiped off easily enough on her trousers. Corso's eyes locked on her hands, which were still streaked with blood from the man she had stabbed. She had cleaned them as well as possible but the dirty clothes the thugs had been wearing weren't exactly hot water and disinfectant.

"You're mad, aren't you?" he asked, fiddling nervously with his belt. He was wearing his armour again, the stuff she had last seen on the _Esseles_ after getting back from the Imperial ship. She wondered where he'd gotten it from, and why she'd never gotten her gear back.

"Why would I be mad?" she asked rhetorically, tucking Flashy back into its holster and wiping her hands on her pants again. The blood was starting to dry and flake off. "Just because you didn't take that shuttle? Riggs, I made a bargain with that harridan that I'd work for her if she got you home safely. Now this means I'm working for the Republic of my own free will. What's that going to do to my reputation?" She kept her tone light and joking to cover how angry she actually was. "Just because you snuck into gang territory to follow us when I thought you were safe? Just because you're risking your blasted life for no good reason?"

Corso's face hardened. "My life, Captain. My reasons. I know you think I'm a kid, but I'm not. I've lived half my life in a war zone. I can take care of myself. Why won't you let me take care of you too?"

Rian fought back a snarl and spun away from him to go retrieve her knife. The thug didn't twitch when she jerked the blade out of his thigh and she leaned down to peer more closely at him. The impact against the ground looked like it had split the back of his skull. It would have been quick. She wiped the knife clean on his shirt and slid it back into the top of her boot.

Kixi was watching her closely, the blaster hanging loosely from one hand. Rian heard Corso's boots on the duracrete behind her and headed quickly for the slicer to avoid him. She had been hoping they would have some time apart for him to get over his little crush but it looked like that wasn't going to happen. She'd have to figure out how to let him down gently. She liked the kid, but she didn't want him to keep mooning around after her. She didn't need taking care of and the sooner he figured that out, the better.

"Thanks for the assist," Kixi said. Rian stopped beside her and leaned against the crate with her back to the others. Corso finally took the hint and she heard him moving away.

"Any time. Good work with that guy," she replied, jerking her chin towards the body.

Kixi shrugged, the movement loose and easy and Rian relaxed. What with her reactions during the combat, she had been worried that the woman would be freaking out. "Not my first kill," the Mirialan said.

"You should get Lomning to look at that," Rian said, gesturing to the bloody wound in Kixi's biceps. "He's a healer. He might be able to help."

"Thanks," she replied, shifting the blaster to her other hand so she could peel the bloody cloth away from the cut. "I don't think it's too bad, but it definitely hurts."

"Then come here, by all means," Lomning said from behind them. His hearing must be freakishly good to have heard that from where he still sat beside Viggota. "I am finished here, and would be honoured to assist you. You as well, Sergeant Jorgan," he added.

Kixi glanced curiously at Rian and she nodded. "He wasn't supposed to be here, but it's a good thing he showed up. I've got a medkit, but it's only got the basics in it."

Jorgan was already sitting beside Lomning on an empty crate while the Jedi tended to the wound in his thigh. It looked like his armour had kept the blade from penetrating too deeply but it had bled so profusely that Rian knew it must have nicked a major blood vessel. If Lomning hadn't shown up when he had, the Cathar might have bled out before they could have gotten him to a healer.

Corso was standing off to one side, looking uncomfortable. Rian sighed and strode up to him. She held up a hand to stop him before he could say anything. "Look, I'm sorry I snapped at you. I wish you'd taken the shuttle, but I understand why you didn't. But you need to know something, Riggs. I'm not here for you to 'take care of'. I'm not some wilting flower who's never seen combat. Yes, it's good that you and Lomning showed up when you did, but that doesn't mean you can swaddle me in synthsilk and tuck me away all safe and sound. If you still want to be on my crew when this is all over you need to remember that I'm the boss, okay?" He nodded, eyes wide. She glanced over her shoulder to see that Lomning had finished treating Jorgan and Kixi. "Good. Now we need to get moving. The longer we stay in one place the more likely we are to attract more unwanted attention."

She turned on her heel and stalked away before he could respond. He was young, and had come from a backwater world. She knew that most of the militia on Ord Mantell was male, but he needed to learn that she was far from helpless and didn't need a man to protect her.

Viggota was inspecting his assault cannon and gave her a nod when she approached. "I'm glad that turned out okay. Sorry about checking out on you there."

"No worries," she replied. His helmet was hooked onto his belt and she could see a dent in the back of it where all the paint was flaked off. It didn't look like it would fit very comfortably without some serious repair work. "I'm glad you're okay," she said, clasping his shoulder. "We need to move. Are you good to go?"

He slung his gun into place and nodded. "Give the word, Captain."

Rian looked around at the rest of her motley crew. Jorgan's face was invisible behind his helmet but she met the eyes of the others. "Kixi, we came looking for you because we've got a job we'd like to hire you for. This isn't the best place to discuss it, though. Will you come back to Republic territory with us to hear us out?"

The Mirialan still had the stolen blaster in one hand and Rian could see that the cut on her arm was healed. "Absolutely. You got me out of that hole. The least I can do is listen to your proposal." She grinned, a sudden flash of white teeth against the green of her skin. "And hey, I'm out of a job right now and a little short on cash. I assume this is a paying gig?"

Rian laughed and nodded. "Let's get going, then. The sooner we're back, the sooner we can work out the details. Lomning, Corso, how did you two get in here?"

"Luck, mostly," Corso mumbled.

Lomning laughed heartily, though Rian was glad to note that he did it more quietly than he usually did. "Skill," he said. "I was able to obfuscate our passage somewhat, to encourage eyes to turn away so that we could pass undetected. But I'm sure you must have an exit already figured out."

"We'll go back the way we came," she said, glancing to Viggota and Jorgan for confirmation. "But if you can hide us at all, obfuscate away. We should try to keep Kixi from being spotted. It's best if the Black Sun has no idea where she's gone or who with." She grinned at him and waved a hand for them to follow. "Let's go."


	15. Chapter 15

With Lomning's assistance, getting back to Republic-controlled territory was almost laughably easy. Rather than waiting for people to pass by or trying to time patrol routes, the Jedi was able to work his magic to convince people to look the other way or take a different route. They still had to avoid electronic eyes, but Rian's intel was more than complete enough for that.

Corso had stayed blessedly silent. She wasn't in the mood to argue with him again. It seemed like that was all they did. Maybe the kid was just stressed being away from home but he needed to get through his thick head that she didn't need coddling.

It had taken her some convincing to override Viggota and Jorgan. They wanted to take Kixi straight back to Garza's office. Rian argued for the Short Circuit, and eventually won. "She hasn't agreed to take the job yet," she told the two soldiers, keeping her voice low. "And look at her. She's about ready to make a run for it. There aren't many Undercity residents who've had good experiences with the Republic military. Let's go for some neutral ground."

Viggota had nodded, though Jorgan hadn't looked entirely convinced. "Look," she told him, clasping his wrist in one hand to get him to look at her. His armour was cool under her gloved fingers and he flashed her a surprised glance from under his raised visor. "I know you still don't trust me, and that's fine. But you're in my world right now, and I know how to handle this. It isn't a military operation. Just follow my lead, okay?"

Jorgan had looked as though he was about to say something but then just shook his head and reached up to snap his visor shut. "Let's go, then."

Tucked into a dimly-lit booth in the back of the Short Circuit, Rian waited until everyone had drinks in hand before propping her elbows on the table and meeting Kixi's eyes. "I know it's bad manners to rush the negotiations, but we're in a time crunch. These two," she jerked her thumb at Viggota and Jorgan, "Are Republic military, as I'm sure you've guessed." Kixi nodded and Rian ignored Jorgan's grumbling. "We need to get into Justicar territory without arousing suspicion, so we need some new identities."

"And you want me to provide them," Kixi said, sipping at her drink.

"We need a good reason to be there that won't arouse suspicion or bring up too many questions," Viggota said, leaning forward intently. He, Jorgan, and Corso had unclipped most of their armour so they'd be able to fit into the booth and Rian could feel the neatly-stacked pile of durasteel plates under the table at her feet. She was still wearing hers, though she had unzipped the jacket and it hung loose around her.

"And we need it to be a rush job," she told the slicer, who looked down at the drink in her hands. "Can you do it?"

Kixi swirled the glass to make the red liquid spin. "I can, but it won't be cheap, if you want it fast." She lifted the glass to her lips and took a healthy swallow.

"We can pay," Viggota said. "Don't worry."

The slicer chuckled, teeth flashing white against her green skin. "Oh I'm not. I trust you're good for it. But I'll want half up front."

*****

After Jorgan was done sputtering, Viggota dragged him away to get some food while Rian conducted the negotiations. She paid more than she probably would have if it was her own money that she was spending, but she still felt like she'd managed to get a good deal. She assumed Kixi had given them a discount as thanks for rescuing her, but Rian didn't begrudge the woman the money. She probably didn't have much after being a "guest" of the Black Sun.

"How long will it take?" Rian asked, sitting up straight in the booth to let Kixi take holos of her.

"I'll try to have them done by tomorrow night," the slicer said, peering down at her scanner. "I'll need to find somewhere to work, though."

"We can provide that," Viggota said, sliding a tray of food onto the table. Rian snagged a steaming box and popped it open. It seemed to be some sort of goulash, and she dug in hungrily.

Kixi turned her scanner on the two soldiers as they passed out the boxes of food. "Somewhere discreet? I'm not strolling up to the Senate Tower."

"We've got the use of a safe house on this level," Jorgan said, opening his own box and frowning into it. "Who has the _dindra_?"

"Here," Corso said, trading boxes with him. "Too spicy for me anyways." Jorgan nodded in thanks and dug in.

Viggota swallowed his mouthful and cleared his throat. "We'll head there after we eat, and you can get started. If you can give me a list of anything you'll need, I can make sure you've got it."

"I've already given it to Rian," Kixi said, tucking her scanner away and digging into her meal.

Rian met Viggota's eyes and nodded. She would give it to him after they finished eating. She knew he'd be able to get anything he needed from Garza. The woman clearly wanted Tavus and the others caught fast, and wasn't worried about spending credits to do it. It was probably a drop in the bucket of her budget anyways.

Once the last box was scraped clean, they left the Short Circuit. Viggota let Jorgan take charge of getting everyone to the safe house and left to go fill Kixi's wish list. He clasped arms with the Cathar, his gauntlet clattering against the sergeant's re-armoured forearm. "I'll stay in touch. Let me know if there are any problems."

"Do you want me to accompany you, Lieutenant?" Lomning asked, but Viggota shook his head.

"It shouldn't take me long," he said. "I'm just dropping off the list."

"Then why are you going?" Rian asked, shrugging at the confused glances that were turned towards her. "I mean... you have a holocommunicator. Why don't you just call Garza and upload the list to her computer?"

Viggota blinked and then laughed. "You know, I'm so used to reporting in person for briefings that it didn't even occur to me. Let's get to our base and I'll do that. She may want me to come in anyways, but you might have just saved me a trip."

Rian grinned back at him. "I like doing business over the holo sometimes," she said. "Saves time. And also sometimes saves getting shot at," she chuckled and tucked her hands into her back pockets.

"That happen a lot, Captain?" Corso asked, wrinkling his nose.

"Sometimes. You can usually tell when a deal is going to go that badly, though," she told him.

Jorgan was looking bemused, helmet hanging loosely from one hand so his expression was visible. "I highly doubt the general would shoot the lieutenant for reporting in for a post-mission briefing," he said and Viggota laughed.

"Depends how badly we screwed up the mission, I guess?"

The stoic Cathar actually chuckled at that before turning to the rest of the group. "Lomning, Riggs, I guess you're with us now?"

Corso stuck his chin out defiantly. "I'm not letting you send me away again," he said, facing Jorgan though his eyes flicked to Rian.

Lomning spread his hands and smiled. "I will stay, if you will have me."

Jorgan's frown deepened and Corso's jaw clenched. "You're both pretty handy in a tight spot," the Cathar allowed grudgingly after a quick glance at Viggota. The lieutenant stayed silent, face impassive. It seemed like he was letting Jorgan handle this.

Lomning chuckled, tucking his hands into the opposite sleeves. "Such a ringing endorsement, Sergeant." He shook his head serenely when Jorgan would have spoken. "My master believes that we can all learn something from everyone we meet. I would be honoured to accompany you all."

Jorgan nodded with ill grace and waved for the others to follow him. Rian fell in alongside him and he slanted a surprised glance over at her but said nothing. The Undercity was her territory, and while she didn't think Jorgan would miss very much, she knew what to look for. Behind her, she knew that Kixi was keeping the same sharp eye out. Viggota brought up the rear. They all had their weapons holstered, though Rian's hands never strayed far from her blasters. This area of the Undercity was relatively safe, but it wasn't wise to take chances.

The Republic safe house was shabby on the surface but surprisingly comfortable when you looked deeper. It was on the corner of two quiet streets with a good view down both of them and the solid wall of one of the skyscrapers at its back. The paint was so faded as to be almost nonexistent, but the walls were sound and the doors and window shutters solid. The furniture looked like it had seen better days but Viggota assured them it was all new, just carefully designed to suit the area.

It wasn't a big place, with two bedrooms, a cramped kitchen, and a common room with three mismatched couches and an aging holonet that only got a handful of channels. Kixi commandeered the table in the common area, fiddling around with her datapad while the two soldiers checked the apartment. Rian poked through her pockets until she found one of Kyven's palm-sized scanners and followed them through the rooms, sweeping for bugs.

"Don't you trust our boss?" Viggota teased, leaning in the doorway of the smaller bedroom to watch her.

Rian laughed. "Not even a little bit. But I'm more concerned about who else might be listening. I thought your boss wanted this kept quiet. But if she doesn't mind SIS listening in, I don't have to finish."

Viggota chuckled and Rian paused to admire the muscles moving under his shirt when he folded his arms over his chest. As soon as they'd cleared the apartment, he, Jorgan, and Corso had shed their armour. "Distracted, Captain?" his voice dropped and his eyes darkened.

"We've had this conversation already," she told him. "Look all you like, but no touching until we get this mess sorted out."

"How is it a mess, though?" he asked curiously. "Not that I'm planning anything with the six of us crammed in here together, but now that we've found your slicer and are moving ahead with the mission, what's stopping us?" He flashed her a grin. "You don't mix business with pleasure?"

She threw her head back and laughed. "Taking pleasure in your business can sometimes be the best part," she told him, climbing onto the edge of the double bed to aim the scanner at the ceiling. "I guess you've got a point, though. I was a little worried about what your boss might do if she found out we'd shared a bed. Didn't want to get you in trouble or give her any cause to back out of our deal." She shrugged, hopping down when the scanner beeped the all-clear at her. "But Corso didn't take the shuttle home, and if you're willing to risk her wrath, there's really nothing holding me back except the lack of space." She gestured to the small bedroom. "And the possibility that the rest of our merry band might not appreciate having to listen to us."

The young soldier nodded, rubbing a hand across his chin. "What's the deal with you and Riggs anyways? Am I going to have to watch my back if he sees us together?"

Rian rolled her eyes and flopped down onto the edge of the bed. "He's a little bit like a puppy, you know? He was helping me out on Ord Mantell and got sucked into this. He's cute, but I think he's getting too attached, too fast. He wants to wrap me up in synthsilk and keep me safe. I like the kid, but he's a bit young for me. Good shot, though, and a good pilot. And he can slice good enough to get him into a lot of places he shouldn't be. I've offered him a job, if I can get my ship back." She made a face. "I'd have probably slept with him if I'd been leaving him back on Ord Mantell, but he doesn't need any more incentive to get attached."

Viggota sat down next to her and nodded. "I figured. He's a good kid. He'd have made a good soldier. I like him."

Rian glanced at him in surprise. "I like him too. I wasn't sure you and Jorgan did, though."

The big soldier chuckled. "Stop judging us both based on what happened on Ord Mantell, would you?"

She made a face. "And the _Esseles_!" She sighed and nodded, fiddling absently with Kyven's scanner. "I know. And hey, you're a good guy, Vig. I'm just having a hard time getting a read on Jorgan."

"I've only known him a couple of weeks. I think something happened with his last squad, but it's not my place to ask. And then there's this whole thing with Havoc Squad and his demotion." Viggota made a face. "He took the fall for Tavus and his team defecting. And then some civilian had the balls to keep escaping right out from under his nose. He's had a rough week!" That startled a laugh out of her and Viggota punched her gently in the shoulder and then nodded to the scanner. "Come on. Let's finish this up. I need to call Garza."

Rian let Viggota pull her to her feet and she headed to the next bedroom, chewing on her lip thoughtfully. She couldn't really blame Jorgan for his sour disposition after hearing all of that. She hadn't exactly been the most cheerful person to be around this week either. The loss of her ship, her capture, and finding out she'd been framed had put a strain on her too. Neither of them had been at their best and they had just rubbed each other the wrong way from the start. Maybe she could find some time to talk to him while Kixi was working. Things were strained enough between her and Corso right now. She had to work with both men, and she'd have to try to mend the relationships if she could.

*****

After Rian had finished her sweep, Viggota appropriated the smaller bedroom so that he and Jorgan could report to Garza in private. Kixi was still absorbed in her datapad, while Corso and Lomning were seated on one of the couches, talking quietly. Rian could feel Corso's eyes on her as she fidgeted nervously around the kitchen, opening cupboards to see what was in there. She wasn't hungry, since they had just eaten at the Short Circuit, but she was too keyed up to sit still. She was glad when Jorgan poked his head around the corner.

"Captain? The general would like to speak to you."

She followed the Cathar into the bedroom and closed the door behind her. Viggota was leaning against the wall beside the bed, one foot braced on the frame, holo in hand. Garza's image turned towards her and nodded. "Well done, Captain. Lieutenant Din-amarth and Sergeant Jorgan told me that the three of you were able to locate your slicer, despite some... complications. Has she given you a timeframe for the work to be completed?"

Rian tucked her hands in her pockets and shrugged. "She said she should have it ready by tomorrow evening, assuming she can get everything she needs and doesn't run into any problems."

The general nodded. "Lieutenant Din-amarth has provided me with her list. Nothing on it is inaccessible. I'll make sure it is delivered as soon as possible. Have you discussed the identities with her?"

"Not yet," Viggota said. "But we've got some time now to hash out the details before she can get to work."

"Keep me apprised," Garza said. Viggota and Jorgan saluted smartly and she cut the channel.

"You're sure we can trust her?" Jorgan asked, slanting a sidelong glance at the door as Viggota put away his holocom.

Rian shrugged, leaning back against the wall. "We're paying her for a job. She's a professional."

The Cathar frowned. "She seemed eager enough to betray the Black Sun."

She snorted a laugh. "They kidnapped her, locked her in a warehouse, and threatened to shoot her if she didn't do what they said. This situation is a bit different."

Viggota laughed and clapped Jorgan on the shoulder, nudging him out of the way of the door and opening it. He gave the sergeant a significant look and flicked his gaze to Rian before leaving the room and closing the door firmly behind him.

Rian arched a brow at Jorgan. "Uh... what was that all about?"

Jorgan shifted uncomfortably. "He... ah... thinks we need to talk. He threatened to lock us in a room together until we figure some stuff out."

She laughed and flopped onto the bed, patting the other side of it. "Come on, then. We might as well be comfortable while we do this." She kicked her boots off and wiggled up to lean against the headboard. Jorgan looked slightly scandalized and stayed standing stiffly by the door. She shrugged. "Suit yourself. You can start, then."

One side of his mouth quirked up slightly. "And if I sit down, does that mean that you'll start?"

She grinned back at him. "Nope, it's all you. Just... what if we tell each other the problems we're having, and see if we can work out a better solution than arguing all the time?"

Jorgan nodded slowly, then approached the bed almost cautiously, sitting down gingerly on the other half of it. He didn't take his boots off, just twisted his torso so that he was half facing her. He watched her eyes flick across his chest and sighed. "That's one thing. I'm not a piece of meat, Captain."

Rian laughed and held up her hands apologetically. "Sorry. I know you're not. But you _are_ an attractive man, and I'm just looking. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." She flashed an easy grin at him. "I'll try to tone it down."

He gave her an uncomfortable half smile. "Thanks. So... does that mean it's your turn now?"

She stuck out her tongue at him. "I guess." She fiddled uncomfortably with the hem of her shirt. She might sometimes talk a lot, but she rarely tried to hash out real problems in a way that didn't involve shooting them. "I know I've mentioned this before, but... I'm not one of your soldiers, Jorgan. I need you to stop expecting me to behave like one. I didn't go to military academy. I pretty much raised myself, and learned on the fly. I've been relying on myself for a long time, and I'm not going to blindly follow orders or jump when you say so, but I'll listen to you, and Vig, and Corso and Lomning. I need you to trust that I know what I'm doing sometimes. I've been taking care of myself my whole life, and I think I've done a decent job most of the time. I'm not saying it's my way or nothing, but it can't be the other way either."

Jorgan sighed heavily beside her, shifting up to lean against the headboard as well. "I've been in the military a long time," he finally said. "I've lived and breathed discipline, orders, and the chain of command. I'm not used to dealing with people who fall outside of that." He rubbed a hand over his face. "I can try, but I won't promise an immediate change."

"I can understand that," Rian replied, shifting to face him more fully, curling her knees up and leaning sideways against the headboard. "I'm not expecting you to change overnight. I just need you to try. And I know you're a tactician. Start using my strengths. I'm not a big armoured tank with a cannon like you and Vig. I'm not going to go toe-to-toe with the biggest goon I can find. You said you were a sniper. I may not be up to the calibre that you're used to, but I'm more effective when I can duck into cover and surprise people."

Jorgan was looking at her in confusion. "When did I tell you that?"

"I guess you're missing some memories from last night," she laughed, reaching up to pat the top of his head without thinking. She was surprised when he didn't move to avoid her hand.

His brows drew down over his eyes and she pulled her hand back. "What exactly did I tell you?"

She straightened up a bit, realizing he wasn't pleased with the fact that he'd let his tongue run loose. "Nothing much, really. We were talking about the dinner bet - which you guys totally owe me, by the way! - and you mentioned that you used to bet with your old squad, the Deadeyes." She let some humour creep into her voice when she saw him relax slightly. "You told me about having to run the obstacle course one particular time..." she trailed off, biting her lip slyly, and he winced.

"I seriously told you about that? I'm not drinking with you again, Captain. You're too dangerous."

Rian laughed, daring to pat the top of his head again. His fur was soft and warm under her fingers and he sighed and slumped back against the headboard. "Your secret's safe with me, Jorgan. Well, until I need some blackmail material, at least." She grinned at him and he actually smiled back. He looked nice when he smiled, yellow-green eyes warming noticeably. "So... friends? Or at least, not enemies?" She sat up straight and stuck her hand out.

He clasped it firmly and nodded. "That works for me." She gave his hand a quick squeeze before letting go. He dropped his hand back down to his thigh, fingers beating out a quick rhythm against his leg before he drew a breath to speak again. "You need to trust us too," he finally said, voice quieter than Rian had ever heard it. "You're part of our team, and we're looking out for you. You're not alone out there. You've got backup - take advantage of it."

Rian felt her face heat and was glad that Twi'lek skin didn't show blushes easily. She curled her knees up tighter without realizing it and ducked her head down. She might have given him too much information when she had told him that she had raised herself and was used to taking care of herself. He had clearly read a lot more into it than she had meant for him to hear. Maybe it was just a lucky guess, or maybe he really was that perceptive, but she certainly didn't need his pity. "What do you mean?" she asked, pleased at how steady her voice was.

Jorgan gave her a searching look. "The roof? Remember when you took off on your own and left us worried that something could have happened to you?"

"Aww, Jorgan, I didn't know you cared!" she said, retreating back behind her armour. She fluttered her eyelashes at him, expecting him to sigh and roll his eyes and leave. You couldn't rely on anyone but yourself and your blasters. Everyone else would let you down in the end and leave you alone.

Instead, he cocked his head and studied her closely. She arched an eyebrow and met his gaze without flinching. "We've got your back. I know you were forced into this, but you're part of our team now, and we don't leave anyone behind." There was steel in his gruff voice and she had to look away.

"Sometimes, you don't have a choice," she told him, sliding off the bed and collecting her boots. She closed the door behind her and balled her hand into a fist to keep it from shaking.


	16. Chapter 16

There wasn't really any privacy in the tiny apartment, but Rian was glad that Jorgan gave her some space after she left the room. He had nodded to Viggota when he had exited the bedroom a few moments after her but neither soldier approached her when she had slipped into the chair opposite Kixi. She laced her hands together tightly under the table so no one could see them shake. No matter what Jorgan had said, she knew that if it came down to a choice between her or the mission, he'd leave her behind. She hadn't forgotten his threat to shoot her on the Imperial ship. She didn't think he'd do that now that he knew she'd been framed, but the Cathar was ruthlessly practical and there was no way he'd value her life more highly than completing Garza's mission.

Kixi nodded a greeting to her, barely looking up from her datapad, and Rian leaned closer to peer at the quick-scrolling text. "Have you got a plan yet?"

"The simplest solution is usually the best," she said, flicking her eyes up briefly to smile at Rian. "The less I have to change, the less likely the forgery is to be noticed. I'd like to keep their records mostly intact," she said, nodding to the two soldiers. "Maybe fudge a few details here and there. Finish it off with a pair of dishonourable discharges for excessive force and disobeying orders and they'll have the perfect cover to hit Justicar territory. Yours and Corso's are easy - I probably won't have to change anything. He's got that year in the Academy under his belt that they'll find attractive, and if you're part of their crew and they all vouch for you, your lack of a military background won't be too much of a hindrance."

"What about Lomning?" Rian asked, aware that all eyes were on them.

"That's a little trickier. Jedi aren't really welcome in Justicar territory." She twisted in her seat to look at Lomning. "Do Jedi ever get kicked out?"

The bulky Twi'lek leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Not often. Perhaps twenty times in the whole history of the Order."

Kixi tapped a finger against her bottom lip and frowned. "Can you pretend to be a Sith? They can pretty much go anywhere they like."

Lomning shook his head slightly. "I would prefer not to. The idea is abhorrent to me."

"Well, I don't have very many ideas. If it's as rare as you say, pretending to have gotten the boot from the Order might sound suspicious. What about if we give you a pair of pants instead of your robes, and you hide your lightsaber? You could maybe pass as a merchant." She stopped, frown deepening. "Maybe. If the guards at the checkpoint are blind. Ugh." She dropped her head down onto the table with a sigh. "I don't know what to do with you, Master Jedi."

Lomning chuckled quietly. "Just Lomning. I may no longer be a Padawan but I am not yet a Master."

Kixi jerked her head up suddenly. "What about Padawans?" she asked, eyes intent.

"What about them?" Lomning asked, face confused.

"How many of them get kicked out?"

A flash of understanding went across his face. "Again, not many. But not all are suited to the path of the Jedi, especially if they begin their training later in life."

Kixi grinned and snapped her fingers. "Got it, then. You're a failed Padawan. You're going to have to try to be a bit less..." She waved a hand vaguely. "Serene, I guess. And lose the robes." She leaned closer, peering at the lightsaber hilt on his belt. "What about that? Can you make it look more makeshift? Like something you put together from scraps?"

Lomning looked down and stroked a finger along the hilt. "Yes, it would be easy. Each Jedi must build their own lightsaber. With a few modifications it will not look quite so elegant but will still function without problems."

"There we go, then," she said, clapping her hands together gleefully. "You'll all keep your names - it's easier to build on an existing person than to create a new one from scratch and if I try changing names it'll be too easy to spot as a fake. So, welcome to your new selves, guys. Get used to them. You'll have to be convincing enough to fool the Justicars."

*****

Within an hour, Rian was about ready to start banging her head against the wall. She could feel Jorgan's eyes following her around the tiny apartment and she had already been the recipient of one pointed look from Lomning when her nervous fidgeting had finally gotten to be too much for even the patient Jedi to tolerate. She finally cornered Viggota in the hall on his way back from the 'fresher.

"We need some clothes. I've got some in my room at the Senate Tower, if you can get those added to Garza's delivery, and I'm sure you two have your own, but Corso's got nothing but what he's wearing, and Lomning needs something less... robe-y. The shops are still open. I'm going to head out and pick up some things."

Viggota blinked at the torrent of words and tilted his head to the side. "You shouldn't go alone," he finally said. "Take Corso and Lomning so they can find something that will fit." He must have seen the look that she was sure had flitted over her face at the suggestion. She needed to get out on her own. She wasn't used to being cramped up with so many people. And Corso would probably start up the same argument about taking care of her and Lomning would try to psychoanalyze her responses.

"It's okay," she said quickly before he could do more than open his mouth. "I've got scans of them. I'll be able to find things to fit them."

Viggota frowned. "You still shouldn't go alone," he said. "I'll go with you. If that's all right," he added hesitantly.

"You need to stay here, sir," Jorgan's voice came from behind them and Rian whirled around. Damned Cathar and their sharp ears. He was halfway down the hall, and she'd been keeping her voice down. "You're the ranking officer. Kixi's supplies should be here within the next hour or two, and you'll need to be here to approve the delivery."

The lieutenant made a face but nodded. "You're right. Jorgan will accompany you," he told Rian, either oblivious to or completely ignoring the way she tensed. "Keep in touch. I'll see you when you get back." He nodded to them both and moved back to the common room.

Rian glared down the hall at Jorgan, so tense she was nearly vibrating. "I don't need you to watch my back," she hissed at him.

He bristled a little, short fur actually lifting slightly as if he was unconsciously trying to make himself look larger. "I'm not doing it for you. None of us should be going out on our own right now. And you're the one with all the contacts that we need to help us find Tavus. Would you rather I let the Jedi and the kid go with you?" He met her angry gaze with surprising calm. "And besides, we're supposed to be getting along now, remember? Do you really want to give the lieutenant another reason to butt in?"

She deflated slightly, shoving her hands into her pockets. He was right, blast him. "Fine," she muttered, pushing past him to go get ready.

Corso looked upset that he wasn't going, but Viggota overruled him. "This is a military operation. No offense, but you're all civilians. I'd rather have you stay with Sergeant Jorgan or myself at all times if possible." Rian hid her surprise by bending down to buckle her boots on. She wondered if Viggota was trying to save Corso's feelings by taking the blame for the decision. He had clearly noticed that she didn't want Corso along. Perhaps it was his way of trying to help smooth things over between them. If so, she liked this approach a lot more than locking her in a room with Jorgan.

She quickly zipped up her armoured jacket and checked her thigh holsters. Jorgan was back in his full durasteel armour, though his helmet and gauntlets hung from his belt. "Ready to go?" the Cathar asked her gruffly and she nodded curtly. "We'll be back soon," he said over his shoulder as he pulled the front door open.

The perpetual shadows of the Undercity closed in around Rian as she slipped out of the shabby safe house. She took a deep breath as she heard Jorgan close the door behind her and rolled her head on her neck to try to get rid of the lingering tension. She already felt better just being outside, though she wished she was on her own. Jorgan was surprisingly light on his feet in all that armour, but she could still hear him walking behind her. He seemed content to let her lead the way.

She kept her eyes moving and one ear cocked for unusual noises around them but all was quiet until they reached the more populated shopping areas. Now the greatest danger was from pickpockets rather than armed thugs, and Rian was an old hand at avoiding those. She neatly sidestepped a trio of dirt-stained kids that ran past, catching the hand that made a grab for one of her blasters in the confusion and sending the young boy spinning away after his fellows. Jorgan lengthened his stride to walk alongside her but still didn't say anything, which surprised her. She would have thought that he would have had a few choice comments after the attempted theft.

They were in their second shop before Jorgan spoke up. The first one had been a bust, catering to a much younger audience. The music had been bone-jarringly loud, and the clothes were just as bad. Rian was having much more luck in this shop and had already picked out a couple of shirts that she thought Corso might like and was browsing the racks of trousers for something in Lomning's size.

"So... where did I go wrong?" Jorgan asked out of the blue, fingering one of the pairs of pants to feel the texture of the cloth. Rian looked up at him, confusion showing plain on her face, and he elaborated. "When we were talking earlier. I thought things were going well, and then you shut down. What did I say wrong?"

Rian swallowed hard, snatching a pair of black pants and turning away. She had thought this conversation had been over. "It's nothing."

"It's something," the Cathar insisted, reaching out and taking the clothes away, draping them over one arm and following her to the back of the store, away from the salesclerk and the lone other customer. "What happened to you that makes it so hard for you to trust people?"

"And here I thought I had avoided the psychoanalyzing by leaving Lomning behind," she said acidly, turning her back on him again. "What makes you such an expert, anyways?"

"I've got seven years of active service under my belt. I've talked to a shrink or two in my time." His tone was mild, but he was watching her intently. "I need to know when there's a problem with one of my team. If there's something I can do to help, I want to be able to do that."

"Except it's not your team, is it?" she snapped. "As I recall, _Sergeant_ , you're not running this show."

That got a scowl out of him but he let the barb pass without comment. "It's my responsibility to assist my CO in keeping an eye on morale."

"Still not a soldier," she reminded him, shoulders stiff.

"But you're still part of our team," he said gruffly.

She turned away to brush him off but stiffened when she saw an unpleasantly familiar man walk into the store. She ducked hastily behind a rack of dresses before Darnath caught sight of her. Jorgan tensed beside her, one hand going to the blaster at his hip and she shook her head. "Not that kind of trouble," she told him, glad of the interruption, though she definitely didn't want Darnath to corner her in here. "See that Mirialan that just walked in?" She let Jorgan find the young man before she continued. "He thinks he's in love with me. He proposed once, wanted me to settle down with him so he could keep me safe." Her voice dripped with scorn. "He just won't take no for an answer and I don't want him trailing around after me like a lovesick puppy the whole time I'm here."

Jorgan's shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter and she wished he wasn't wearing his armour so she could punch him without hurting herself. "It's not funny, Jorgan. He's a nuisance and he'll be lucky if I don't shoot him one of these days."

"It's a little funny," he said, grinning over at her and she rolled her eyes.

"Shut up," she told him, risking a quick glance around the edge of the rack to see where Darnath was. She swore in Mando'a when she saw that he was browsing his way slowly towards the back of the store. With the stress from the past couple of weeks, she knew she wouldn't handle this situation well at all. "I've got to get out of here before he sees me or I won't be responsible for what might happen!"

Jorgan was still chuckling but he shifted to block her from view with his armoured bulk. "Do you care if he sees you?" he asked. "What if we give him something to look at? Maybe it'll make him leave you alone."

Rian slanted a sidelong glance at Jorgan, a slow grin spreading over her face. "Seriously? What happened to 'I'm not a piece of meat'?"

The Cathar shrugged. "It's for a good cause. And besides, I'm wearing my armour. How much can you see?"

That startled a laugh out of her and she quickly clapped a hand over he mouth to stifle it. Jorgan grinned at her and offered her his arm. She slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow and leaned into him, the durasteel cool under her fingers. "This would be more comfortable if you _weren't_ wearing your armour," she grumbled as he tugged her around the rack and her elbow banged into the side of his chest plate.

"For you, maybe," he replied with a smirk, and she rolled her eyes.

Rian could feel her shoulders tensing up and forced herself to relax. She wasn't going to turn around and flaunt her presence to Darnath. If he didn't notice her or didn't recognize her, that would be even better. But Jorgan's plan was a good backup if he did happen to spot her. And they needed to get some clothes and this store was as good as any.

She had to reclaim her hand to pick up another pair of pants, so Jorgan slid his arm around to her back, palm resting at the dip of her spine. She could hardly feel the light pressure through her armoured jacket but admitted to herself that it was still reassuring. Maybe he was on to something with this "teamwork" garbage he kept spouting. That didn't mean she was going to buy into it completely, but maybe she could let herself rely on them while it lasted. But not too much, or she'd get used to it and it would get her killed once they all went their separate ways. She doubted she would ever see the soldiers again once Garza had Tavus.

"Have we got everything yet?" Jorgan murmured next to her ear. "That Mirialan keeps looking at you. I think he's trying to figure out if it's actually you or not."

Rian tugged another pair of pants off the rack. "I think so. I got three changes of clothes for each of them. And we should see if we can pick up something for Lomning to modify his lightsaber with." She kept her voice just as low, knowing his sensitive ears would pick it up.

Jorgan increased the pressure of his hand, steering her towards the clerk so they could make their purchases and leave. Rian turned her face up towards the Cathar to keep Darnath from getting a good look at her. Jorgan looked amused, and the faint smile looked strange on his face. She had gotten so used to the scowl he usually directed at her. "Having fun?" she asked quietly as the clerk started scanning their items.

The Cathar looked down at her, a faint look of surprise on his face. "I am, actually. I was never interested in covert ops, but this is kind of fun." He grinned wider, showing sharp teeth. "Not to mention all the blackmail material..."

She rolled her eyes, flashing Garza's credstick at the reader when the clerk handed over their bags. "My threat to shave your fur off still stands," she muttered at him.

He had the temerity to laugh as he grabbed one of the bags and let her take the other. He opened the door for her with his free hand, smiling blandly at the glare she directed at him. "After you, dear," he said, saccharine-sweet.

"Thin ice, Jorgan," she warned, though she couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"Admit it, you're having fun too," he said, arm going around her back again. He ducked his head towards her, giving him the chance to flick a glance over his shoulder. "I think he's following us."

"Ugh, of course he is," she said with a sigh. "He never did know when to give up. We can't lead him back to the safe house." She looked around to get her bearings. "I think there's a second-hand electronics shop over that way," she said, waving a hand to their left. "Or at least there used to be. It's been a while since I've been there."

They made it to the corner before she heard footsteps hurrying to catch up to them. She felt Jorgan tense almost imperceptibly beside her and shifted her grip on the bag of clothes so she had a hand free for her blaster. "Rian?" Darnath's voice carried over the hum of activity on the street. "Rian, wait!"

"Should we stop?" Jorgan muttered to her, but the choice was taken away when a green-skinned hand grabbed her shoulder. She tamped down hard on the instinctive response to grab her attacker and throw him over her hip and let Darnath spin her out of Jorgan's loose hold. The Cathar barely managed to contain a violent reaction of his own, but Darnath was oblivious to how close he had come to needing a medical droid.

"Darnath," Rian said, voice cool but polite. She tried to shake off his hand but he just clung tighter and pulled her into an embrace. She squirmed free and he gazed at her adoringly, fingers sliding down her arm to grasp her hand.

"Oh, my beautiful Rian! I thought I'd lost you forever! I can't believe that you came back to me!"

Jorgan gave her a disbelieving look and she shrugged. Darnath's obsession with her seemed to have gotten worse in the years since she'd last seen him. "I didn't come back for you, Darnath," she said, tugging her hand free. It took some effort and she had to step back hastily to keep him from grabbing her again. "Why can't you accept that I'm not interested?"

"After that night we had?" he asked, smirking at her. "You seemed pretty interested then. Are you saying our love is a lie?"

She laughed, enjoying the look of confusion on his face. "How many times do I have to say this? It was fun, sure, but you're reading too much into it. Stop following me around, Darnath. I'm not interested in you."

"But..." his face crumpled, then went ugly. "I've done everything for you! I bought you a ring; I've saved up enough to get us a place of our own! Rian, you don't have to keep running. I can protect you from whatever you're hiding from." He stepped forward again and grabbed her shoulders. "You're mine, and I won't give you up that easily."

Rian broke free of his hold as quickly as she could and shoved him back. Jorgan growled softly from where he was standing slightly behind and to one side of her. "I'm not yours, Darnath. I'm not anyone's. This is getting unhealthy. Leave me alone, or I'll file charges." She wouldn't, but he didn't need to know that. Hopefully the threat would be enough.

Darnath's eyes flicked from her to Jorgan, noting the Cathar's protective stance behind her, and he sneered at her. "So I guess it's true. I didn't want to believe it of you, but my friends all said you were just a gold-digging slut who'll open her legs for anyone with credits. How long are you going to milk him for?" He jabbed a finger towards Jorgan. "You got everything you wanted from me, and now it's over?"

Rian's eyes went cold. "You need help, Darnath. I hope you realize that." She spun on her heel and stalked away, Jorgan close behind her. She was nearly shaking with rage. She had thought Darnath was annoying but harmless, but it seemed that his obsession with her had revealed a terrifying side of his personality. She could hear him screaming after them and tuned him out, not needing to hear the names he was calling both of them.

Jorgan's scowl was back, his body tense and angry. "You were right. There's nothing funny about that. I'm surprised you haven't shot him yet."

"He wasn't that bad the last time I saw him. I think he's snapped."

"I think you're right." He slanted a glance over his shoulder. "At least he's stopped following us."

"Thank the stars for small mercies," she sighed, scrubbing a hand over her face. "Sorry you had to hear that."

"Team, remember?" Jorgan replied, patting her shoulder awkwardly.

"Somehow I think this falls outside of what Havoc Squad would normally expect to encounter," she said with a rueful smile. "I appreciate you letting me handle it."

"I knew you could," he replied, eyes scanning the shop signs around them. She blinked up at him in surprise. "I never thought you were incompetent," he told her. "Like you keep telling Riggs, you can take care of yourself. I might not agree with your methods but I've seen the results."

She snorted, spying the sign she was looking for further down the street. "Who'd have thought it would take an encounter with that lunatic to get us to actually work together properly?"

Jorgan chuckled quietly. "Adversity can create strange results."

"I think we've had more than our fair share in the past couple of weeks." She checked for traffic and crossed the street.

"True, but this is really the first time you and I have encountered it together." He ducked into the shop when she held the door open for him. "I know we talked about it a bit when we were out drinking, but I really do need to apologize to you. Especially for what happened on that Imperial ship."

Rian tossed a quick smile at the proprietor and then led Jorgan through the maze of crowded shelves. "You mean the part where you handcuffed me and gave me a concussion, or the part where you threatened to shoot me?" she asked, voice tight.

"Both." His hand was on her elbow, tugging her gently to a stop. "I know it's not an excuse, but I hadn't had the best week. And you kept _escaping_ ," his voice was so exasperated that she had to smile. "So... I'm sorry. I saw that fake warrant, and let that dictate my entire opinion of you, even when I kept seeing evidence to the contrary. I'm actually a little surprised you didn't shoot _me_."

Rian rolled her eyes but had to smile. "Because _that_ would have gone over well..."

Jorgan chuckled, squeezing her elbow and then releasing it. "Let's find what Lomning needs and get back. We should report that incident to Lieutenant Din-amarth."

"Ugh, do we have to?" Rian pulled a box of parts off the shelf beside her and sifted through it.

"He should be kept aware of any potential complications. If Darnath frequents this level, there's a chance we could encounter him again." Jorgan hesitated for a moment. "If you'd like," he added almost tentatively, "I can gloss over some of the details of exactly what he said in my report."

Rian rapped her knuckles against his shoulder plate. "Don't censor yourself on my account. I know I'm not a 'gold-digging slut' or any of that other garbage. I won't let Darnath's opinions bother me. He's clearly lost his mind."

Jorgan made a noncommittal noise and nodded. "All right. I'll tell him exactly what happened, then." He paused, picking up a few twisted bits of metal that she thought might have once been pieces of a droid and putting them back down again. "I could... also make sure that Corso hears it as well, if you think it might help." Rian looked up at him in surprise and he cleared his throat and looked away. "I've noticed you were having some problems communicating certain concepts to him," he said. "Hearing about Darnath's extreme reaction might help with getting the point across."

"It... might," she allowed. She rubbed the back of her neck, skin warm under her hand. "Ah... thanks, Jorgan. That's above and beyond." He quirked a smile at her and she knew what he was going to say. "Teammates," she said at the same time as him, and he laughed quietly.

"I'm glad you agree."


	17. Chapter 17

Rian was surprised at how good Jorgan's memory was. She had retreated to the kitchen when he had started his report to Viggota, but she could hear him easily and from what she could tell, he remembered the conversation nearly word-for-word. He also described body language and actions, though he waited until the facts were all out before he started speculating on possible motivations. She turned on the taps to get some water so she could pretend to not listen as he coolly laid out his opinions on how he thought she had handled the situation. He was still talking when she heard the tentative footsteps of someone entering the kitchen.

"What is it, Corso?" she asked, turning off the taps and taking a quick sip of water. He was silent for so long that she finally turned around to look at him. She'd never seen him look so upset, even with everything that had happened on the _Esseles_ and the Imperial battlecruiser.

"Is that..." He had to clear his throat before he could continue. "Is that how you think of me? Is that what you think I see you as?"

She drained the glass and set it aside. "Let's find somewhere else to talk about this, okay?" He nodded, and followed her meekly out of the kitchen. Jorgan was still talking with Viggota, but they had moved to one of the couches. Lomning was sitting on another one, watching them with great interest while he sorted almost absently through the small pile of parts Rian had bought.

Viggota looked up when she came out of the kitchen. "Corso and I are going to go sit out front for a bit," she told him. "We won't wander off, don't worry." He nodded acquiescence and three sets of eyes followed them out the door. Kixi had barely looked up from her jumble of new equipment when Rian and Jorgan had returned from their shopping trip.

Rian closed the door firmly and settled on the top step, leaning back against the doorframe. Corso couldn't seem to sit still, fidgeting beside her until she reached out and set a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Captain..." his voice was anguished. "You know I'd never do anything like that, right?"

"I know, Riggs." She tightened her hand briefly. "I'm not comparing you to Darnath. You two aren't even in the same orbit. He's _way_ out there." That got a wan smile out of him. "He's an extreme example of what can happen when someone thinks they know what's best for another person, though. I did sleep with him, once, but it was years ago. He's been insisting that we're meant to be together ever since then. I don't know why he picked me to fixate on, but he's convinced he knows how to make me happy, and isn't taking any of my desires into account. Such as the desire to not be with him."

Corso winced and curled in on himself like he wanted to disappear. "I didn't think of it that way, Captain."

"Rian," she corrected him, tapping him on the shoulder until he looked at her. "I know you didn't. I do like you, Corso, but I'm not the type to be coddled, and I want the freedom to make my own decisions. I want you as my friend, and my first mate, once I get my ship back. But I don't think I'm the woman you want, not really, and I don't want to be the one who breaks your heart." She shifted closer and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "I don't want to see you hurt, Corso, which means I'm sure going to do all I can to keep from being the one who hurts you."

After a moment's internal struggle, Corso leaned tentatively into her and she tightened her arm. "You say all that, Captain, but this kind of feels like it hurts right now."

"I know, Farm Boy," she said, giving up on getting him to use her name. "In the short term only, I hope. I'm not going to keep stringing you along until I hurt you way worse down the road. I just have to hope you forgive me for it."

"Ain't got nothing to forgive, Captain," he said gruffly. "You've been right up front with me the whole time. It's my own fool fault for seeing something that wasn't there."

"Human nature," she told him. "Sentient nature," she amended. "We all have hope, even when we know better."

They sat in silence for a while, Rian's arm tight around Corso's shoulders, his warm bulk tucked up against her side. She watched the Human family in the house across the street laughing together in the front room before the parents stood and moved to the kitchen together to start dinner. Corso looked up and followed her gaze. He sighed wistfully. "That's what I want someday. A family."

"I'm not the one to give it to you," she said gently.

"I know," he replied. "And I've got time yet, right?"

"You're still young," she agreed.

"It's just... with the war and all, I was worried I might run out of luck before I found the time." His voice was rough and he ducked his head down to let his dreadlocks hide his face.

Rian hugged him tighter against her. She'd never been all that interested in a family of her own but she could tell that he was, and it was weighing heavily on him. "My line of work isn't necessarily safe either," she said gently. She'd hate losing him as a potential first mate, but she would understand.

"I know," he said after a pause. "Doesn't mean I'm going to back out, though. I don't think I'm the type to lead a safe life."

She hid a smile in his hair. "I don't think so either. You like what you're doing too much."

"I like helping people," he said, voice soft.

"You're doing it," she replied.

*****

They stayed sitting quietly together until the parents across the street reappeared from the kitchen to call their children for dinner. Corso's stomach growled as the three youngsters scrambled for the kitchen and she laughed. "Starving to death? Come on; let's go see if the others are hungry." She stood up and offered him her hand to pull him to his feet. He gave her a sweet smile and opened the door for her.

To her surprise, entering the crowded safe house didn't immediately set her teeth on edge this time. Corso's warm presence at her back was comforting rather than smothering, and the worried looks that both soldiers flashed her melted into pleased smiles at the looks on their faces when they walked back in. She hid a grimace, realizing that she was letting herself get too attached to this strange group of people she had found herself a part of. She must have been alone too long. It had been almost three years since Joro and Lia had left.

"Where's Lomning?" she asked to distract herself from her thoughts.

"Kitchen," Viggota said, leaning back on the couch. "He kicked us all out, said that soldiers get so used to eating ration packs that we wouldn't know what to do with real food and that he would do the cooking."

Rian laughed, sprawling onto one of the other couches. Lomning's pile of spare parts had been sorted out neatly, though she couldn't figure out what his system was. The beginnings of a lightsaber hilt were starting to come together on the small table beside the couch. It looked nothing like the sleek and elegant tool that normally hung from his belt, but it would work well for his cover.

Corso took the other couch, though she did notice the glance he threw at the seat beside her. It would have been nice to curl up against his warm, muscular chest, but she didn't want to give him the wrong idea and she was glad that he was giving her some space. Viggota and Jorgan eyed him carefully but were apparently unconcerned with whatever they saw.

Kixi was still hunched over the table, tapping away furiously at a pair of keyboards that were set up one above the other. Rian couldn't see most of the half-dozen screens set up at various angles in front of her, but she saw a flash of Viggota's face on one of them before it was wiped away by a long scroll of text.

"Everything going according to plan?" she asked, jerking her chin at the slicer.

Kixi didn't even seem to notice that anyone had spoken, so Viggota answered instead. "So far, I think. She hasn't exactly been talkative since she started working."

Rian chuckled and shook her head. She understood that. She got the same way while piloting the _Event Horizon_ sometimes. She spared a wistful thought for her ship, wondering if she would ever set foot aboard her again. She knew it would be very easy for her to slip into a melancholy mood with that attitude and was grateful when Lomning came bustling out of the kitchen wearing an apron over his robes to distract them all with plates of food.

*****

It had taken some persuading to get Kixi to turn off the computers and go to bed, but the Mirialan was clearly flagging. She had worked late into the evening and when Rian saw her nodding off over her work she had pulled her up out of her chair and bullied her down the hall to the 'fresher and then into the bed in the smaller bedroom. The slicer was asleep before Rian could even turn off the light. She slid the door quietly closed and rejoined the others in the common room.

"I believe it is long past time that all of us should get some rest," Lomning announced, looking over his new lightsaber hilt from all angles. It wasn't elegant, a simple cylinder of rust-splotched metal with a crude end cap and mismatched buttons, but it was effective. Lomning triggered it and a beam of golden light lanced out. It hummed and danced as he twirled it around himself and pronounced it finished.

"Sleeping arrangements?" Corso asked hesitantly.

"We'll sleep in shifts out here on the couches," Viggota said. "Rian can have the bed."

Rian chuckled, eyeing the couches dubiously. "I doubt any of you would fit. Don't forget, you'll need to be ready for a fight tomorrow, and you three slept rough last night. Let me take one of the couches. There's a perfectly good bed that you can argue over."

"I will be just fine on the floor," Lomning announced. "The beds at the Jedi Academy are often little more than a pallet on the floor anyways. And like the captain, I slept very well last night indeed."

Corso looked at the two soldiers and shrugged. "I was used to sharing a bunk in the militia. I don't snore, as far as I know."

"I do," Viggota said ruefully. "I'll take first watch. Hopefully everyone will be asleep by the time I hit the sack."

They all took turns in the 'fresher and Rian grabbed blankets for herself and Lomning from one of the closets. Lomning settled himself on the floor in the second bedroom while Corso and Jorgan argued over who got which side of the bed. Rian hid her grin and headed for the couch. She stripped down to her undershirt and shorts and got herself settled on the cushions and was glad she had spoken up. Even her feet nearly touched the arm - none of the men would have fit comfortably.

Viggota checked to make sure she was settled before turning out all the lights save for a dim one in the kitchen. He settled on one of the other couches with a datapad in his hand and his blaster pistol on the cushion beside him. His and Jorgan's assault cannons were laid neatly on the third couch, and Rian's pistols were tucked under her pillows. With any luck, they would have a quiet night but it never hurt to be prepared.

*****

Rian woke briefly when Jorgan came out to switch watches with Viggota. She made an aborted move for her guns until Viggota whispered her name and her sleep-fogged brain recognized him through the sudden surge of adrenaline. He gave her a knowing grin and tucked the blanket back around her when she flopped back onto her pillow.

"Go back to sleep," he murmured softly. "Jorgan's got this watch."

She nodded against the cushion and closed her eyes, waiting for her heart rate to slow down enough to let her sleep. She could hear Jorgan getting comfortable on the other couch and Viggota moving around quietly in the other room. He said something to Corso and Lomning, who presumably had woken up when Jorgan had gotten up, and then she heard him climb into bed.

"Get to sleep before he does, if you can," Jorgan's voice was a soft rumble in the dim room. "He really does snore."

She was still grinning as she drifted off.

*****

The relentless hum of traffic and machinery woke Rian a few more times in the night but she had long ago learned to sleep when she could so she didn't usually have any trouble falling back to sleep. Jorgan's eyes flicked to her every time she woke, but he never said anything.

She woke again to the sound of Lomning humming quietly to himself in the kitchen. Jorgan was gone from his position on the couch. She sat up and stretched, then folded the blanket over the arm of the couch and put her guns on the table beside it.

Lomning greeted her with a smile when she walked into the kitchen. He was rummaging around through the cupboards for something to make for breakfast. She leaned past him to grab a pitcher of juice and pour herself a glass.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked him.

"Very well, thank you. And you?"

"Fairly well." She leaned against the doorframe to watch him move competently around the small kitchen, chopping, stirring, and heating. "Where did you learn to cook?"

"From my parents," he said, covering a plate of sausages to keep them warm. He turned to grin at her and patted his ample belly. "You may have noticed that I like to eat. I thought that I should learn to prepare it as well."

She grinned back at him and stole a slice of fruit off his cutting board. "No complaints from me!"

He laughed and shooed her out of the kitchen. She took her prize and popped it into her mouth as she sauntered back into the common room.

Kixi was already there, hunched over her computers with her black hair a tangled mess. Her eyes were alert, and she gave Rian a quick wave without looking up. She could hear someone in the 'fresher down the hall but she wasn't sure who it was. She hoped they would hurry. She wanted a shower before breakfast. Coruscant always made her feel grimy.

The door to the larger bedroom opened and Corso stepped through, eyes squinted mostly shut as he yawned hugely. He was wearing one of the pairs of pants she had bought yesterday and a sleeveless white undershirt. He stopped short when he spotted her, face flushing bright red under his tan, and she remembered that she was still in her tank top and underwear.

"Morning, Riggs," she said with a smirk, watching his eyes dart across the room, trying to find something else to focus on. They kept skipping back to her, though. _Yup,_ she thought to herself in satisfaction. _Still got it._

"Ah... morning, Captain. I'm just going to... uh..." he trailed off and she crossed her arms under her breasts, pushing them up a bit to give her more cleavage. His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard.

"Sleep well?" she asked sweetly. She really shouldn't be teasing him like this, especially after their conversation the night before, but she couldn't deny that it was kind of fun.

"Stop harassing him," Viggota said mildly, following Corso out of the bedroom. Rian aimed a pout at him and sauntered down the hall towards the 'fresher, letting her hips sway as she walked.

She tapped on the door and leaned back against the wall. "Almost done in there?" she called.

The door slid open a moment later and Jorgan blinked as he took in her state of dress. "Is that really necessary?"

"I never said _you_ couldn't ogle _me_ ," she said with a wink. He had a towel wrapped around his hips but she kept her promise and didn't let her eyes drop to his bare chest. "But I'm not getting dressed again before I have a shower. I can wait until after breakfast, though, if you're not finished."

"Breakfast should be ready any time now," he said, glancing at the display by the mirror to check the time.

"Then I'll wait," she said, pushing off the wall and heading down the hall. She heard him sigh behind her before the door slid closed.

*****

Lomning's breakfast was delicious. Apparently the kitchen had been well-stocked, and everything tasted even better than it smelled. They ate on the couches in the common room since the single table was still covered with Kixi's computers, and was far too small for all of them to sit around.

"How's it going?" Rian asked the slicer, who was digging hungrily into her meal.

"Pretty good," she said, pausing with her fork held halfway to her mouth. "Lomning's records are giving me a bit of trouble. The Jedi archives are tricky to get at."

"Are we still on track for this evening?" Viggota asked, leaning forward.

"I think so. I'll know more after lunch."

With every scrap of food gone and the dishes cleared up, Rian headed for the smaller bedroom to find the bag of clothes that had been delivered from her temporary apartment at the Senate Tower. Whoever had packed it had clearly done so in a hurry and everything was jumbled together. She wanted to find something casual and comfortable to wear since they would probably be cooped up in here all day.

"Why do you feel the need to flaunt your body so, Captain?" Lomning asked suddenly from behind her. Rian hadn't heard him come in and she had to take a moment to compose herself before she could turn around.

"I've got it," she told the other Twi'lek with a cocky grin. "I might as well flaunt it."

The Jedi tipped his head to the side and regarded her steadily for a moment before turning to slide the door shut behind him. "They already respect you for your abilities," he told her when he turned back to face her. "You do not need to cheapen it."

Rian took a step back without realizing it. "That's not what I'm doing!" she said.

Lomning shrugged fluidly. "Perhaps not consciously. But I believe you have been hurt, or used, because of your body. You know men will desire you, and you have not known men to control themselves when faced with something they desire. So this is your way of seizing control. You flaunt yourself to them, but do not allow them to have you."

"You don't know me very well, then," she sneered, crossing her arms defensively.

"You may let them have your body," Lomning said calmly, "But you have learned to not let them control you through it. I am a Twi'lek too. I know what our women risk. There is no shame in having been a slave, Rian. You are free."

She felt as though she had been punched in the gut and couldn't seem to get enough air. "Who told you that I was a slave?" She had never actually told Corso to keep it a secret but she didn't like the idea that he had told everyone behind her back.

"I see it," he told her quietly. "I have seen it in any number of Twi'lek women. You hide behind your words and your walls to keep people from getting close enough to discover it, but I have seen the aftermath of slavery before, Rian. There is no shame in it," he repeated.

Rian suddenly realized she was shaking and perched cautiously on the edge of the bed. "What would you even know about it? Twi'lek men are almost never taken. And besides, you're a Jedi. When would you have ever been a slave?"

Lomning approached carefully, as though she was a cornered animal, and seated himself beside her. "You are right, I have never been owned by another. But I have worked with those who have been. I have heard of their experiences. I am here, if you ever need to talk."

She closed her eyes to keep him from reading the memories in them and felt his arm slide around her shoulders. The hug was cautious but comfortable, and she leaned into his warm bulk just a bit. "Don't tell them, okay?"

"I would never break a confidence," Lomning promised. "Though if you will be working with them, I think you should tell them."

Rian shook her head. "This is a one-time deal. As soon as we find Tavus, I'm out of here. I need to find my ship. I can't live my life on a planet, Lomning. I need the stars. I need to shake the dirt off my boots and get back into space."

"You might not find these men so easy to shake off, Captain," he replied, and she had no response for that.

*****

By dinnertime, which Rian had helped Lomning to prepare, Kixi was nearly finished.

"Sorry, guys, it took a little longer than I had expected," she said, stretching until her back cracked. Corso winced at the noise but Kixi sighed in relief. "The Jedi archives are really locked up tight. It was really tricky to wipe out your records," she said with a nod at Lomning. "But don't worry. I kept copies so I can put everything back to how it was when you guys are done. No charge," she added with an impish grin.

Viggota moved around behind her chair and dug his thumbs into the muscles at the base of her neck. She groaned and went limp under his hands. "Is this my tip? 'Cause this is awesome," she mumbled, letting her eyes slide closed. The big trooper laughed and just kept working on loosening up the muscles made tight by hours of hunching over her computers.

"How much work do you have left to do?" Rian asked, setting her empty plate aside.

"Maybe an hour?" Kixi said without opening her eyes. "Just need to tie up a couple of things and do a last check to make sure everything's neat and tidy."

"We'll move out in the morning, then," Viggota said. "There's no sense in showing up at the checkpoint in the middle of the night."

"We should make sure everyone is familiar with their roles," Jorgan said, folding his hands in front of him. "We don't want any slip-ups."

*****

Watching Corso try to play the tough guy was the highlight of Rian's week. She laughed so hard her sides hurt and Corso couldn't keep a straight face either. She even spotted a tiny smile on Jorgan's lips. Lomning was patiently trying to coach the young man but he was grinning openly and Viggota and Kixi were trying to catch their breath between gales of laughter.

"Maybe you should just pretend to be mute?" Kixi finally suggested, wiping tears of laughter out of her eyes.

Corso laughed and grabbed a pillow from the couch to throw at her. "Oh shut up. This is hard, okay? I was raised to be polite."

"You weren't very polite to the Seps, or the Imps," Rian pointed out.

"I only had to shoot them, not talk to them," Corso grumbled, flopping down onto the couch beside her.

"Perhaps Mistress Kixi has the right of it," Lomning said, sinking down cross-legged on the floor with a grace that belied his size. "You should leave the talking to the rest of us."

"I assume Vig's doing most of the talking anyways," Rian said, patting Corso's dreads soothingly. "He's the senior military officer. They'll respect him more."

Kixi was nodding her agreement. "From what I know of the Justicars, that's the best way to go. I think you should be playing bodyguards. You're scouting the sector for a client who has business there. Vig is the leader of your group, Rian is the sneaky type, and the one with the ship, and the rest of you are the muscle."

Rian frowned at the mention of her ship but knew it didn't matter much if it was actually in her possession or not as far as their cover went. It was still registered to her, and that was good enough for their purposes.

"We'll move out in the morning," Viggota said, pushing himself to his feet. "Pack lightly, but bring clothes for a few days. We'll take rooms for a few nights, in case it takes us some time to find Tavus. Get some sleep. I want to make an early morning of it."

While the others went to get ready for bed, Viggota pulled Rian and Kixi aside in the smaller bedroom. "I've already talked to General Garza," he told the slicer. "Your full fee has been deposited into the account you provided. It might be a good idea for you to lay low for a little while. We don't know if the Black Sun is still looking for you."

"I've got family I can visit offworld, if your general can get me past the scanners at the spaceport," she said, tugging on her lower lip. "I don't want Black Sun to see my name on a passenger list."

"I'm sure she can work something out," Viggota said. "I'll send her a message with your comm frequency and you two can make arrangements."

"Good idea," Rian said, giving Kixi's shoulder a squeeze. "Thanks for all your help."

"Hey, you broke me out of Black Sun. I figured I owed you one!" Kixi grinned at the two of them and flopped onto the bed. "I'm really looking forward to some R&R after that."


	18. Chapter 18

Kixi hadn't been too pleased when the military escort Viggota had arranged knocked on the door after breakfast the next morning. At least they hadn't showed up in full uniform, but Rian was sure that everyone on their street could tell that the two young men were soldiers. She shrugged it off, though. It wasn't her job to criticize Garza. She would just remember not to stay at this safe house in the future.

"It's for your own safety," Viggota had insisted when Kixi had scowled at him. "They're taking you to meet with General Garza, who has arranged to have you taken to the Republic Fleet station on a troop transport vessel. There won't be any record of you at the spaceport. From the Fleet, you can catch a shuttle to anywhere you want."

"Fine," she finally sighed. "I don't need the escort, but I appreciate your help." She shook hands with Rian, Viggota, and Jorgan, bowed politely to Lomning, and surprised Corso with a hug. "Never change, Corso," she told him, grinning at his blush. "I don't care if you can't play the tough guy. You're a good man. Remember that."

*****

The Justicars' sector was deep in Coruscant's underbelly, but it was tidy and well-lit. Rian supposed the Justicars still adhered to military standards of cleanliness and she wondered if they did the cleaning themselves, or if it was punishment duty for those that disobeyed their rules.

The speeder station was still held by Republic forces, but just barely. A huge, makeshift wall cut the station off from the rest of the sector, complete with gun emplacements on both sides. Rian had no doubt that the Justicars could probably take the speeder station by force if they wanted to, but since the Coruscant taxi service would likely stop running to the station if it was held by a hostile force and many of the other speeder stations in the area wouldn't allowed unregistered traffic to land, she assumed that they were allowing the Republic to keep it.

Viggota straightened his shoulders and pulled his helmet on. Rian noticed it wasn't the one Kyven had provided - he must have requisitioned a new one from Garza after his had been damaged in the fight in the alley. Jorgan and Corso slipped theirs on too, and Rian and Lomning took up a position behind the three men.

As they approached the barricade, a Republic officer stepped out in front of them, holding up a hand for them to halt. Rian noticed subtle shifts on either side of them as more soldiers moved to pin their small but heavily-armed group in between them. She kept her hands loose at her sides and her eyes on the officer even though the space between her shoulder blades itched with tension.

"I'll need to see your identification," the man told them. "What is your reason for entering this sector?"

Viggota handed over his ident card, motioning for the others to do the same. They filed up slowly, handing them over to the officer and letting him scan them. The man motioned for each of the soldiers to lift their visors so that he could match their faces to the pictures on his datapad. This was the first real test of Kixi's work, even though the man didn't seem to be studying their records all that closely.

"Business," Viggota told the officer as he watched the process. "Our client has an upcoming meeting in this sector and has asked us to scout the area beforehand."

The man nodded, handing Rian back her card and smoothing a hand over his fussy little moustache. "You will need to present your identification again upon your return, as well as be prepared to have your bags searched for contraband."

"Only on the way out?" Viggota asked curiously.

The officer made a face. "The area beyond the wall is not currently controlled by Republic forces and as such we are not concerned with what items are passing through this checkpoint. But you may be searched by the Justicars themselves," he added, stepping aside to wave them through. "Have a pleasant day."

"Thank you," Viggota said, snapping his visor shut again and motioning for the others to follow him. A hulking, dark-skinned soldier raised the gate that separated the speeder station from the Justicars' sector, and they walked through.

There was a sort of no-man's-land outside the wall, a bare stretch of duracrete flanked by featureless walls that stretched to the ceiling forty feet overhead. Rian felt her heart rate speed up as she followed Viggota and the others. This was a killing ground, with Republic guns at her back and Justicar ones in front of her. Her fingers itched for her blasters, but she kept her arms relaxed at her sides and her eyes on Viggota's broad back, though that didn't stop her from taking in every detail she could with her peripheral vision.

The Justicars hadn't bothered to erect a wall. Their big guns were tucked behind waist-high barricades made of poured duracrete with just enough space in the centre for two men to pass through. On the other side of the opening was a squat duracrete bunker with narrow slits for windows. The walls must have been half a foot thick and the door was on the side facing away from the Republic's guns.

A pair of heavily-armoured men were waiting for them, anonymous in full helmets. One was a hand span shorter than the other but seemed to be in charge. He held out a hand for them to stop a few feet away from the barrier. Two of the big guns had swivelled to point at them but the rest stayed aimed at the Republic side.

"State your business," the Justicar said, his voice rendered mechanical by the speaker in his helmet.

"We are scouting this sector for our client in advance of an upcoming meeting," Viggota said, coming to a halt with the rest of the group fanned out behind him.

"Please provide the name of your client and the nature of the meeting."

"I can't do that," Viggota replied. "We're bound by a confidentiality agreement. We are registered independent bodyguards," he said, waving a hand at the rest of them. "I can provide you with our information."

There was a brief pause during which Rian suspected the man was communicating with someone using the comm system inside his helmet. "Please present your identification cards. Your belongings will be searched before you will be allowed to enter."

Rian had been expecting this, and hadn't packed more than a couple of changes of clothes and a worn deck of cards. She shifted to a falsely casual position as she watched the soldiers search their bags, keeping an eye on them to make sure nothing mysteriously vanished. Viggota had made sure no one had packed anything of any real value or interest before they had left the safe house, so the search didn't take long.

When Rian stepped up to re-pack her bag, the soldier who had searched through her things leered at her, eyes sliding up and down her body. He even went so far as to take a step around behind her so that he could admire her from all angles. She rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. Typical. Put a woman in front of a thug like these soldiers were and they stopped thinking with anything but their cocks.

"Your identification card, miss," Rian looked up from her bag to see the first Justicar standing in front of her, holding his hand out. She slipped the card out of her belt pouch and handed it over to him, turning back to her work while he scanned it. He seemed to take longer with her card than he had with the others, and she had time to finish packing and sling the bag over her shoulders before he handed the card back. When she reached for it, he pulled his hand away.

"Is there a problem?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at him.

"You don't seem to fit," he said, fingering her card thoughtfully. "The soldiers, I can understand. A man needs muscle in his bodyguards. And even he would be useful, if a man is concerned that he might be dealing with Force-sensitives." He waved a hand at Lomning. "But you? What use are you?"

"She owns the ship," Viggota said, voice flat.

"Then why isn't she on it?" the man asked, tone reasonable. It was a good question. It didn't make sense to put the ship's captain in danger if she was the only one who could pilot it.

"Maybe she's decorative," sneered the man behind her. "Could be that they don't want to go through the trouble of finding themselves female companionship when they want it, so they've brought their own."

Rian tipped her head to the side to survey the more-brawn-than-brains human behind her, whose eyes were still sliding across her body in a way that made her feel dirty. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jorgan's gauntleted hand clamp down on Corso's arm before the young man could move and she was grateful that he had kept the kid from drawing attention to himself.

"Decorative?" she asked the man over her shoulder. "You think that's my function in this crew?"

The man snorted out a laugh. "Don't think I don't see those pretty little blasters you're carrying, but I bet they're just for show. Have you ever even drawn them before?"

Rian's hand moved faster than the eye could follow and suddenly Flashy was pressed squarely to the man's forehead, though her finger wasn't on the trigger. "You mean like this?" she asked sweetly, trying not to laugh at the way the man's eyes crossed to try to focus on the barrel. There was movement all around her, hands flying to weapons and guns swivelling to point at her, but she ignored it. "It's a good thing our client isn't as short-sighted as you. He was glad to have a quick-draw artist and a sharpshooter on as part of his protective detail." She pulled her back and gave Flashy a fancy twirl before holstering her neatly and turning her back on the gaping soldier. "Any more questions?" she asked the Justicar commander, ignoring the guns that were pointed at her and the tension in her team.

She could hear amusement in the man's mechanical voice as he handed back her identification card. "No, Captain. Welcome to the Justicars' sector."

*****

"Way to not draw attention to us," Corso grumbled once they had cleared the checkpoint.

"It worked, didn't it?" Rian muttered back. She was keeping a close eye out on their surroundings and wasn't exactly in the mood for conversation.

"They could have shot you!" Corso said, shaking his head.

Rian sighed and turned to look at him. "They respect people who can handle themselves. If I had let that guy keep talking, they would have lost any respect for all of us. We need this cover. If they've got us pegged as bodyguards who back down from a challenge, how long do you think we'll last down here?"

"She's got a point," Viggota said, dropping back to walk on Corso's other side. "Captain, I thought you handled yourself well, and read the situation perfectly."

"Uh... thanks," she said, feeling awkward at the praise. "I figured that puffed-up little prick could stand to be taken down a peg or two. His buddies didn't seem too upset that I did it either."

Viggota chuckled. "I've seen soldiers with that sort of attitude. They don't tend to rise up through the ranks very far, or get much respect from those who do."

"Lieutenant," Jorgan's voice interrupted them. "There's a cantina up ahead. Should we stop?"

Viggota looked up at the red and orange sign proclaiming that this was the Star Set Cantina. "Let's see if they rent rooms," he said, lengthening his stride to join Jorgan at the head of their small group. "It'll be as good a base as any, I suppose."

Surprisingly, the cantina wasn't crawling with Justicars. "They must have their own haunts," Lomning murmured, catching the surprised look on Rian's face. "I doubt they would willingly mingle with civilians." She nodded in agreement, turning her attention back to Viggota.

The big trooper had his elbows on the bar, haggling with the Ithorian bartender. The five of them had definitely attracted some attention from the locals, but they seemed more inclined to just keep their heads down and enjoy their drinks than to cause trouble so Rian didn't mind too much. Their group certainly stood out, so she had to expect that at least some attention would be directed at them.

"I've got us a suite," Viggota said when he rejoined them. "Two rooms with two beds in each, and a shared common room." He hooked his thumb towards the stairs that led up to the second level. "Let's drop our gear off and work out our next step."

Jorgan insisted on leading the way, sniffing cautiously at the air as if he expected an imminent ambush. Rian wrinkled her nose at the less-than-savoury scent wafting up from the crowded cantina, imagining it must smell worse to the Cathar's nose. Corso and Lomning were behind her, with Viggota bringing up the rear. His armoured shoulders nearly brushed the walls of the narrow staircase.

"This is us," Jorgan said, checking the three doors at the top of the stairs and moving to the furthest one. He flashed the key card at the reader and the door hissed open. He had one hand on his blaster pistol when he walked in, but the room was empty.

The common area was carpeted in brown, presumably to hide any stains, and the walls were painted white. A pair of long sofas faced each other across a holodisplay on one side of the room and a square table with four chairs was tucked into the opposite corner. Three doors stood open - one leading to a small but adequate 'fresher and the others to a pair of matching bedrooms. Jorgan and Viggota checked both rooms for bugs and Rian tossed her pack onto one of the beds once they gave the all-clear.

"I seem to have been voted as your bunkmate," an amused voice said from the doorway and she turned to grin at Lomning.

"They think my feminine charms won't work on you?"

The big Twi'lek laughed, setting his small bag on the second bed. "Something like that. I think they believe you are less likely to try to shock a Jedi." It was strange to see him in anything but his robes. He was wearing a pair of plain black pants woven of a sturdy fabric and a white shirt with a brown leatheris jacket over it. His makeshift lightsaber hilt was tucked into an inner pocket of the coat, leaving a bulge that looked like a blaster pistol at first glance.

"I don't think you shock easily anyways," Rian chuckled. She thought about unpacking her bag but figured a few wrinkles would be a small price to pay for the readiness to leave at a moment's notice.

"There is no emotion, there is peace," he quoted at her, and she giggled. He gave her an answering smile and waved for her to precede him back into the common area.

"So what's our next move?" Corso asked when the two Twi'leks rejoined the others. He was unbuckling his armour, pulling the shoulder pieces off and stacking them neatly on the table. Viggota and Jorgan already had their chest and back plates off and tucked into a corner and were working on the rest of their kit. Rian was glad of the zipper that allowed her to shuck her armoured jacket easily and even more glad that it was comfortable enough to sit down in.

"I need to get feelers out to some contacts," Rian said, sprawling onto one of the couches until Viggota kicked her leg out of the way so that he could sit down too. "Garza really has no idea what he's doing here?"

Viggota shook his head. "Not a clue. We don't know why he's still in Republic space at all. You'd think he'd have high-tailed it straight to the Empire before we could get on his trail." He noticed the confused looks that Lomning and Corso were giving him and made a face. "Okay, I guess it's important for you guys to know too. But this has to stay between us," he added with a hard glare.

Corso held up his hands in surrender and Lomning smiled gently. "Lieutenant, you can trust my discretion."

Viggota sighed, scrubbing a hand over his shaved head. "We're on the trail of the former members of Havoc Squad," he said, gesturing between himself and Jorgan. "They turned traitor and defected to the Empire. At least one of them - Harron Tavus, the former commander of the squad - has been spotted in this sector. We need to catch him before he gets away."

Lomning looked thoughtful but Corso swallowed hard. "Special Forces traitors? How many are there?"

"Tavus took four of his squad with him," Jorgan said, standing stiffly by the table. He didn't look pleased at having to tell Havoc's secrets to more civilians, but he didn't argue.

Corso whistled low. "So you were going to go after five Spec Forces guys with just the three of you?" He turned an angry glare on all of them, finishing with Rian. "Captain, why didn't you say anything?"

"I couldn't, Riggs. Garza had me between a rock and a hard place." She leaned her head back against the cushions and stared blankly at the ceiling. "Besides, we don't even know that they're all here. Tavus is the only one that's been spotted."

"Well, who saw him?" Corso said, unclipping his chest plate and pulling it off. "I assume your general would have made sure they kept eyes on him, right?"

"Long-range surveillance drones," Viggota replied. "The Republic hasn't got eyes in this sector, not really. Garza got a facial recognition alert set up on all the traitors as soon as she knew. One of the drones pinged Tavus entering this sector four days ago."

"So we don't even know if he's still here?" Corso shook his head. "No offence to your boss, but she's bungled this up pretty good. There's a million ways he could have gotten out of here without your drones spotting him. Just like we could get Rian out of Fort Garnik with you guys none the wiser."

Rian shared a grin with Corso, ignoring the glare that Jorgan was giving them both. "He's got a point. He could be anywhere by now."

"This is the only lead we've got," Viggota said with a sigh. "None of our other cameras have picked him up anywhere else on Coruscant. I know it's easy enough to smuggle someone off-world, but we have to take the chance that he's still here."

"What's he doing that he needs four days for anyways?" Rian grumbled, propping her heels on the edge of the holodisplay table.

"Whatever it is, we had better hope he isn't finished with it," Viggota replied. "We need to find him before he leaves Justicar territory. This might be our best chance to catch him. If he goes off-world, we may never see him again."

*****

The Star Set, like many cantinas, had a back room where a perpetual game of sabacc ran. Old players dropped out as time or funds dictated and there was always new blood waiting to jump in. Rian tapped the edges of her stack of credit chips to align them into a neat pile as she dropped into a vacant seat. She wasn't wearing her armour any more, but one of her less practical outfits of skin-tight dark red pants and a black top that was made up of more open space than fabric. A decorative belt at her waist had a big enough buckle to hide a tiny stun gun and she had knives tucked into the tops of both of her boots but she looked unarmed to the casual observer. She had begged the help of one of the Twi'lek serving girls with her makeup, and her eyes looked huge and innocent and the scar on her face was nearly invisible. She could practically see the other players - all men - start salivating when she sat down.

"You sure you're up for this, girl?" leered an older man with a metallic implant covering nearly half his face. Blaster malfunction, Rian thought, noticing the robotic hand as well. He was lucky to still be alive. She wasn't sure yet if he had any skill to go along with that luck.

"Deal the cards, Grandpa," she told him, leaning forward to make sure that he got a good look at her cleavage. He licked his lips and began to shuffle, though his eyes definitely weren't on what he was doing. He fumbled the cards once and she let a smile touch her lips. This would be easy.

*****

"You're good," whispered a voice in her ear. She had sensed him coming, so she didn't jump when a warm body pressed up against hers where she was leaning on the bar trying to get the Ithorian's attention. She recognized the voice as belonging to one of the sabacc players, a distinguished-looking Human who was at least ten if not twenty Standard years older than she was. She had easily tagged him as her only true challenge at the table and apparently he had done the same to her.

"It takes skill to recognize skill," she purred, arching her body slightly against his, just enough to pique his interest and show that she wasn't averse to his advances. She caught Viggota watching her from the other side of the half-circle of the bar counter and dipped her head once in their prearranged signal that everything was fine. Tapping her chin with a finger would have brought him or one of the others charging to her rescue as the jealous boyfriend. She couldn't see them from where she was pressed against the bar, but she was sure they were watching.

Warm fingertips slid along the bare skin over her ribs and when Rian's drink was finally set in front of her, his credits clattered onto the bar to pay for it before she could reach for hers. "My treat," he said, easing back just enough to let her turn around. He grasped her free hand gently in his and raised it to his lips, kissing the back of it. His eyes were on hers the whole time. "I'm surprised you bowed out as early as you did. You could have cleaned them all out."

"I've learned to quit while I'm ahead," she said, giving him a coy look from under her lashes and letting him keep her hand. "Besides, if I clean them out today, they won't play with me again tomorrow, and where's the fun in that?"

The man chuckled, amusement plain in his eyes. "Oh, I like you," he said admiringly. He squeezed her fingers firmly. "I'm Darmas. I didn't catch your name at the table."

"Rian," she replied, squeezing back and smiling. He was handsome and charismatic, but slick as an oiled snake. He didn't ooze nearly as badly as Skavak, though. This man knew how to charm. "A pleasure to meet you, Darmas."

Darmas slid his fingers up her arm to her elbow, turning her in the direction of an empty table. He even held her chair out for her. She seated herself and took a sip of her too-sweet drink as he settled himself across from her. "What's a lovely lady like yourself doing in a place like this?" he asked her. "You must be new - I'd have definitely remembered you."

"You could charm the armour off a Mandalorian," she told him with a grin. She was actually having fun bantering with him, and could tell that he would prefer a woman who gave as good as she got instead of simpering and fluttering her eyelashes at him.

"I'm not sure I'd want to do that without a peek underneath first to see what I'd be getting myself in for!" he replied with a laugh.

She leaned forward in her chair. The table was tiny, and her knees brushed his every time she moved. "You don't like surprises?"

"Depends on the surprise," he said, his voice a low, seductive purr. She could very easily let herself fall for his charms, she thought.

"I'm here to find someone," she replied, wrapping her lips around her straw and sucking up another sip. His eyes followed the motion avidly.

"I could be that someone."

She looked him up and down slowly, noting the still-sleek muscles despite his age and the well-tailored suit. He would likely be an excellent bed partner. "I don't deny that at all, Darmas."

His hand was on hers again, fingers stroking gently, and she shivered at the sensation. It had been a _long_ dry spell. And men were often much more willing to talk after some... exercise. Darmas just seemed like the type to gather interesting tidbits of information from everyone he met. She wouldn't be at all surprised if he turned out to be exactly the kind of person she was looking for.

Darmas bought her another drink and they chatted about inconsequential things for the next twenty minutes or so. He claimed to be a shipping expediter, and knew enough about the business to be quite convincing. Rian said she worked on a starship's crew as a navigator - close enough to the truth. She saw the others periodically in the background of the cantina. Corso and Jorgan wore nearly matching expressions of disapproval every time she spotted them. Viggota looked alert and interested, and the expression on Lomning's face was completely unreadable. She hadn't forgotten his comments about flaunting her body, but this was different. They needed this information, and they needed it fast. If a tumble with an attractive man like Darmas was the price, she would pay it gladly. She didn't imagine it would be much of a hardship for her anyways.

Darmas had shifted his chair closer on the pretext of hearing her better over the din of the cantina and his shoulder was nearly touching hers. His fingers still stroked over the back of her hand in a most pleasant way. As she finished her second drink, she felt his fingers start to move up her arm and she slanted a glance at him through her eyelashes. "Another drink, Rian?" he asked, eyes dark on hers.

"I think I've had enough," she told him, leaning just fractionally closer. "I think there's something else I'd like now."

"Are you hungry?" he asked solicitously, though his voice dropped to a low rumble.

"Starving," she replied, shifting so that the side of her breast was pressed to his arm. Heat flared through her at the look in his eyes.

"I have a room upstairs if you'd care to join me," he said. "I think I might have something there that might appeal to you."

She laughed, standing and offering him a hand up. "Darmas, I think you're reading my mind."

She caught sight of Corso moving to intercept her as Darmas tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and ushered her towards the stairs, but Viggota grabbed him quickly. The big trooper looked at her and she dipped her head once to let him know she was okay. She wanted this, and if it found them the information they needed, so much the better.


	19. Chapter 19

Rian collapsed back against the mattress after the second round with Darmas, panting hard and grinning up at the ceiling. Darmas had been everything she had hoped for in a bed partner - enthusiastic, athletic, inventive, and considerate. She stretched, feeling the pull of deliciously sore muscles.

"I think you've killed me," Darmas muttered into the pillow beside her, laughter in his voice.

"Really? And if I told you I was just getting warmed up?"

He faked a groan, rolling over to kiss her thoroughly. "You'll be the death of me, Rian. But what a way to go!" He ghosted a hand along her side, raising goose bumps in his wake and making her arch and gasp involuntarily.

"You may have ruined me for other men, Darmas," she said, grabbing his hand and rolling to pin it over his head in self-defence.

He chuckled low in his throat, looking up at her with dark eyes. "I highly doubt that. But I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

"Well, I wasn't faking!" She kissed him again, deeply, then rolled away. Neither of them was quite ready for another round just yet.

"I didn't think you were!" Darmas laughed and shifted onto his side, propping his head up on one hand to look down at her. "So... will you tell me who you really are and why you're here?"

Rian arched an eyebrow at him, mentally calculating the distance to the stun gun concealed on her belt and the knives in her boots in case he proved to be a threat after all. "I'm not sure what you mean," she told him, making herself stay as loose and relaxed as he was.

He chuckled, free hand reaching out to skim along her skin. "You don't get scars like these as a ship's navigator," he said, fingertips lingering on a few of the marks marring her body. "And don't think I didn't notice the blades in your boot tops. You're no more a simple starship navigator than I am a shipping expediter."

She laughed, letting herself arch up under his skilled touch. "I didn't think you were. It's good to know I haven't lost my edge." She let her legs fall apart with a soft sigh as his fingers moved lower. "I'm looking for information. Know anyone who's selling?"

"Now this is the way to conduct negotiations," he murmured, bending to kiss her throat as his fingers delved deeper. "What's the information?"

"We're looking for a man who was spotted entering the Justicars' sector four days ago." Her voice was a little uneven as she rolled her head back to bare her throat but she thought that was only to be expected. "It's an urgent matter."

"I think we might be able to make a deal." He kissed the tip of one of her _lekku_ where it was coiled across her chest and she shivered at the sensation. "Incidentally, who's 'we'?"

"I can introduce you to them in the morning." She scratched a hand slowly down his chest. "Unless you'd rather stop this and go meet them now?" Darmas mock-growled, shifting to pin her underneath him. "Didn't think so," she murmured in satisfaction, leaning up to meet his mouth.

*****

Darmas was still sleeping when Rian woke, sprawled on his stomach with his face buried in his pillow and the sheets bunched up at his waist. The cantina was quiet under them, so it must be late enough to be considered early. She stretched and rolled quietly out of bed to visit the 'fresher. The safety glow-strips around the doors gave her enough light to see by as she used the facilities and washed her hands and face. She checked the clock in the refresher room and debated going to see if the others were awake. It was still early but later than she had originally thought, and she knew that they were all relatively early risers.

"You're not sneaking out without saying goodbye, are you?" Darmas asked from the bed, voice rough with sleep.

"Of course not," she replied, letting him tug her back into the warm nest of blankets. "I was going to check to see if the rest of my crew was awake. I figure we can discuss business over breakfast."

"Apparently I didn't wear you out well enough last night," he said with a chuckle, nipping gently at her throat before letting go of her. "But far be it for me to stand in the way of business. Off you go, then. I'll shower and come meet you...?" He trailed off questioningly.

"We're just down the hall. Room three. Give me a bit of time to make sure they're all awake and presentable." She kissed his cheek and slid out of bed to get dressed, though she didn't bother with her boots. She let herself out of Darmas' room, blinking in the brightness of the hallway, and tapped her key card on the reader beside the door of their suite.

As she had suspected, Lomning was already awake. She had to clap a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh at the sight of him striding awkwardly across the common room, a look of intense concentration on his face. "What in blazes are you doing?" she asked.

He turned to her in surprise. "Rian! Good morning; I didn't hear you come in." He made a face, rolling his head on his neck as if to loosen tight muscles. "I am trying to practice my walk. Viggota mentioned yesterday that it is a little... 'swishy' for the character I am portraying."

Rian giggled, setting her boots by the door and approaching him. "You do have a certain way of walking," she said. "So what are you trying to do?"

"He said I needed to... 'strut'. But I am unsure of what exactly that entails."

"You need to move with confidence," she said. "Walk into a room like you own the place." She shook her arms, letting them hang loosely by her sides and lifting her chin. She strode across the room, the effect slightly spoiled by her bare feet, but Lomning was watching her with his eyes narrowed in concentration. "Don't back down from anyone. Don't let anyone push you around. Make _them_ get out of _your_ way."

"I think I see," he said, striding across the room in a credible imitation of her. "Is that better?"

"Much," she said with a smile, twirling a finger to get him to turn around and do it again.

"Did you have a good evening?" Lomning asked after a few more passes across the common room.

Rian smiled and stretched hugely. "I did. And a productive one. Darmas will be joining us for breakfast to see if he can help us find the information we need."

Lomning cocked his head to the side, studying her closely, and then nodded slowly. "Then you should shower and dress while I wake the others and order some food. Would the kitchen be open yet?"

"They probably never really closed," she said, thumbing the controls to open the door to the 'fresher. "I'm sure there's someone down there that can whip up something."

"Then I will make those arrangements." Lomning flapped his hands at her to shoo her into the 'fresher. "Be quick - I'm sure the others will want their turn as well. I will be back soon."

"Sounds good. But don't forget to _strut_ ," she told him with a grin, sliding the door closed behind her.

*****

The others were up when she got out of the 'fresher, wrapped in a towel and carrying her clothes. "Morning, guys," she said cheerfully, making a beeline for the bedroom where she had stashed her bag. "Lomning should be back soon with breakfast. We're having a guest."

"So we've heard," Jorgan said, glowering at her. She ignored him and reached for the door controls, only to have Viggota's big hand cover hers.

"Everything all right?" he asked quietly. She could see Corso hovering in the background, looking worried.

"Everything's fine," she told him, trying to reclaim her hand. He tightened his grip, palm warm against the back of her hand.

"You didn't have to do that," he said. "I would never ask someone under my command to do that."

She sighed, abandoning the idea of getting dressed for the moment, and turned to face him. He dropped her hand now that she wasn't trying to get away and she squared her shoulders, lifting her chin to look up at him. "I know I didn't. I made a personal choice that happened to coincide with finding the information we need. I had an extremely enjoyable evening, and found a contact that can hopefully help us get to Tavus before we lose him again. I'm an adult, and not technically under your command. I can make my own decisions."

"But Captain...!" Corso burst out and she quickly held up a hand to stop him, her eyes never leaving Viggota's. The last thing she needed right now was for Corso to blurt out something about her past as a slave and a dancer. It wouldn't help anything, and it would probably only serve to make Viggota feel more guilty.

Viggota studied her face for a long moment, and then nodded. "All right. I just wanted to make sure you didn't feel that we were expecting you to get the information at any cost."

"I know, Vig," she said, laying a hand on his arm. "Trust me, this was my choice, and I _thoroughly_ enjoyed myself. Now if you'll excuse me, I should go and get dressed." She ducked into the bedroom, sliding the door shut and latching it behind her and then leaning against it with a sigh. She'd probably have to have another talk with Corso sometime, but it wasn't going to be now, not with Darmas due to show up any moment. She just hoped that the farm boy could keep a rein on his tongue.

*****

Rian knew how important clothes were in setting the tone, so she dressed for the meeting in plain tan pants and a white, short-sleeved shirt. She wrapped her gun belt around her hips and slid her blasters into their holsters. Her boots were still by the door but hopefully she could grab them before Darmas got there.

The outer door slid open just as she left the bedroom, but it was only Lomning coming back with breakfast. Corso was nowhere to be seen, but she could hear someone in the 'fresher and Viggota's voice was coming out of the open doorway into the second bedroom. It sounded like he was updating Garza on their progress.

Rian grabbed her boots and sat on the edge of one of the couches to pull them on, feeling Jorgan's disapproving glare on her the whole time. She studiously ignored him, tugging the buckles tight and smoothing the ends down. She was sure he wanted to say something about fraternization, or inappropriate conduct, or something of that sort, but she wasn't in the military and didn't have to live by his rules. She just wished he'd give it up, since between him and Corso the tension in the room was nearly thick enough to cut.

Speaking of the farm boy, she heard the door of the 'fresher hiss open but he was gone almost before she could look up, hustling into the other bedroom with his head down and a towel clutched firmly around his waist. He was definitely avoiding her.

The door chimed just then and Rian heard Viggota abruptly end his call with Garza. "I'll get it," she said, flicking her _lekku_ over her shoulders and hopping up before either Lomning or Jorgan could make a move to the door.

Darmas was waiting in the hall with a small vase of flowers in his hand, which he presented to her with a flourish. "Scoundrel," she laughed, accepting the gift and letting him kiss her cheek. She couldn't remember the last time a man had brought her flowers. She might have to look Darmas up again sometime. He was a lot of fun. "Come on in," she said, stepping out of the doorway to let him through.

She watched him and the others size each other up. Corso hadn't come out of the bedroom yet, but Viggota, Jorgan, and Lomning were doing a fine job of being hulkingly intimidating all on their own. She rolled her eyes at their silent posturing and went to put the flowers on the table with the food Lomning had brought up.

"Are you boys done trying to intimidate each other yet?" she asked sweetly, stepping in between Darmas and Viggota.

"I think your friends are winning, beautiful," Darmas said with a laugh as he pretended to hide behind her. "Where did you find such enormous young men? And if you had all of this waiting here for you, why did you end up in my bed?"

She laughed and hooked her arm through his elbow to tug him forward. "You haven't even met them all yet!" She winked at him. "This is Viggota. He's the man in charge. Vig, this is Darmas. He might be able to help us."

Viggota stuck his hand out and Darmas clasped it firmly. "A pleasure to meet you," he said, straightening to his full height. He was still shorter than everyone in the room except Rian, but he carried himself well.

"This is Aric, and Lomning. Corso will be joining us shortly," Viggota said, hooking a thumb at the closed door. "Will you join us for breakfast?"

The table only sat four, so Lomning took his plate over to the couch. They had just finished serving themselves when the bedroom door opened and Corso emerged. His dreadlocks were tied back neatly and his blaster pistol sat at his hip.

"Corso, come get some food," Viggota said, waving him over and leaning to the side to let the other man reach the trays in the middle of the table. "This is Darmas. We're hoping he can help us."

Rian held her breath, wondering what Corso would say, but she needn't have worried. He was polite to a fault, and merely nodded at Darmas. "Nice to meetcha."

"Likewise," the older man said, sizing Corso up quickly. He cast a wry glance at Rian and she shrugged. Sure, she was working with some handsome men, but looks weren't everything. She certainly wouldn't have changed anything about her evening with Darmas.

They made small talk during the first half of the meal, plying Darmas with questions about what life was like in the Justicars' sector. "It's not all bad," Darmas said, gesturing with his fork. "As long as you're careful. The Justicars are very up front about their rules. They know people can't follow them if they don't know what they are. But at the same time, ignorance is no excuse. The rules are made publicly available and it's everyone's job to familiarize themselves with them. Follow the rules, and you'll have no problems. Break them..." he trailed off with a shrug. "Well, the Justicars do have prisons, but most people don't spend very long in them."

"They're murdering people?" Corso asked from the couch beside Lomning, disgust plain in his voice.

"I won't sugar-coat it," Darmas said, scraping the last bites of breakfast from his plate. "Their punishments for the smallest crimes are completely out of proportion. But most of the people here have nowhere else to go. So they live by the Justicars' rules, or they die."

"Doesn't sound like much of a life," Corso muttered.

"It isn't," Viggota agreed. "But it's not our fight. We're here on business, and we need to get it done soon as we can."

Darmas quickly finished his last mouthful and pushed his plate aside. "I'm all ears, Viggota. Rian mentioned that you're looking for someone. I have eyes throughout the sector, and I hope we can come to an agreement."

Viggota rested his elbows on the table, food forgotten. "We're looking for a man named Harron Tavus. He's dangerous, so tell your people to keep their distance. He may or may not have up to four associates with him. I'll provide you with their information as well, and we'll need to know if they're here with him. We need to know where he is, who he's contacted, what he's doing, any routine he's established, that sort of thing. And we need to know it yesterday."

Darmas whistled low and leaned back in his chair. "Tall order. I can do it, but it'll cost you. I'll need to get my whole network working on this."

"Name your price," Viggota challenged.

Darmas' eyes lit up and Rian smacked his hand. "Don't even think about cheating us, you scoundrel."

The man laughed, catching her hand and kissing the back of it. "Wouldn't dream of it, beautiful. Though I could probably be convinced to waive my customary fee if _you_ could be convinced to stay on in this sector for a while once your work here is done..."

"She's not for sale," Corso interrupted, voice hard.

"Of course she's not," Darmas replied airily. "That wasn't what I was asking from her anyways." He flashed Corso a quick, hard smile. "You've got a lot to learn, kid."

Viggota cleared his throat, disrupting another angry outburst from Corso before it could begin. "That's her decision to make, but you're negotiating with me. Credits are all I have to offer."

"Then you're in luck. Credits are some of my favourite things in the world."

*****

Rian was surprised when Darmas actually didn't try to cheat them. He named a reasonable daily fee for his network's services and added a completion bonus if he was able to find Tavus and provide the information Viggota needed. The big trooper blinked a couple of times and then accepted tentatively as if wondering what the catch was.

"No catch, my friend," Darmas said, shaking hands to seal the deal. "Business isn't exactly brisk in this sector, with everyone so quick to toe the line and avoid the slightest hint of impropriety. It wouldn't do for me to scare off potential customers with exorbitant fees."

"You're a pragmatic man, Darmas," Viggota said, unclipping his datapad from his belt. "I've got the information you'll need right here, if you want to transfer it now."

Darmas pulled out his own computer and handed it to Viggota. "I'll get it out to my network immediately."

"How long will this take?" Jorgan growled. "He's already got a head start on us and we need to find him before he leaves the sector."

"I can't give you an exact time frame," Darmas said. "But the Justicars' sector isn't _that_ big. If here's here, one of my people will spot him sooner or later."

"He's probably laying low," Viggota added. "He's not likely to be welcome here, and would have to keep off the Justicars' radar."

"Well that actually narrows the search considerably," Darmas mused, looking down at the information Viggota had transferred to his datapad. "There are only so many places here where one can hide from the Justicars' reach. I'll have my people focus on those to start with, if no one recognizes him."

Viggota stood and offered Darmas his hand. "We appreciate it. Please let us know as soon as you hear anything."

"Of course," Darmas said, clasping hands. "And thank you for breakfast, and your business. Hopefully I will be contacting you very soon." Rian stood and walked him the short distance to the door and let him tug her out into the hall so that the door would slide shut behind her. "Join me for dinner tonight?" he asked with a smile.

"I might be convinced," she said, leaning in to meet him when he pulled her close for a kiss. "Or I might hit the sabacc tables again instead."

"Trying to convince me to let you win Viggota's money back?" he said with a grin.

"If I win it, I'll be keeping it," she murmured against his lips, kissing him again and pulling back. "Wait," she said when he tried to tug her close again. "I need you to add another person to your list."

He raised an eyebrow curiously, slanting a glance at the closed door. "And who might that be?"

"A friend's grandson joined the Justicars a year ago, to try to find enough evidence to force the Republic to act against them. None of his family has heard from him since. They need to know what's happened to him."

Darmas was nodding. "I understand that. It'll cost extra, you know."

"I know. This is personal, though. I haven't told the others about him."

"I will be the soul of discretion." He handed her his datapad so she could transfer the information from her wrist computer. "I'll send you a message if I can uncover anything."

"Thanks," she said, handing the datapad back. "I'll see you soon, Darmas."

"Until then, beautiful."

She slipped back into the room and turned to see all four men watching her, Lomning and Viggota tolerantly, Corso and Jorgan with hostility. Corso opened his mouth to say something but Jorgan beat him to it.

"Is that really appropriate? We're here on business, not pleasure, and can't just sit around waiting while you make time for every slime ball in the cantina."

Rian wasn't sure who was more shocked, herself, Viggota, or Lomning, but Corso grabbed the big Cathar by the shoulder and spun him around. "Look, you mangy lump of fur, she hasn't messed up your 'mission'. She's done her job and got you the contacts you need to find this guy. You wouldn't be even this close if it weren't for her. And if she's done it by enjoying herself with that Darmas character, well, she's an adult and it's her decision. If she thought that was the best way to get the answers you needed, who are you to say otherwise? She's probably got a better read on that sort of situation than any of the rest of us!" He paused to jerk his head in Lomning's direction. "'Cept maybe for the Jedi, begging your pardon."

"No apologies necessary," Lomning murmured, hoping to try to defuse the situation but Corso just ploughed on.

"So you just back yourself right off, okay? She can have as damn much sex as she wants, whether it's for your blasted mission or not. She'd gotten the job done and you've just sat around here and complained about her and her methods." Corso was breathing hard, fists clenched angrily. There was a brilliant red flush across his cheekbones but it looked like anger rather than embarrassment at his words. Rian wondered just what she had missed when she had gone to Darmas' room and resolved to ask Lomning later. Hearing Corso defend her right to sleep around if she wanted was downright surreal. Jorgan's hackles rose and he took a step forward until he was nose-to-nose with the young Human. That's when Viggota finally moved, shouldering between them with his greater bulk and pushing them apart.

"Enough, both of you. You both need to calm down and take a step back. Rian is an adult, and she's allowed to make her own choices. If you have a problem with her or anything she does, you come to me and I'll deal with it if I think it's necessary." He glared around the room, meeting everyone's eyes. "That goes for the rest of you too. We're in enemy territory, and we need to be able to rely on each other. I don't want to hear any more complaints aired in public. You come see me privately if you have a problem." He glanced up at Lomning, who nodded. "Or the Jedi," he added. "Consider him your counsellor, if you feel you need to sort through something. There will be no more of this," he punctuated his words with a shove to Jorgan and Corso's chests, pushing them both back a pace. "We clear?"

Rian hid a smile as they both snapped to attention and saluted. "Yes, sir!" they chorused.

"Good. Now, hopefully Darmas is able to find something soon so that we can get moving but until then we should lay low."

"I brought a pack of cards," Rian interjected into the tense silence. "Does everyone know how to play sabacc?"


	20. Chapter 20

"So what did I miss last night?" Rian muttered to Lomning as they left the room. She had volunteered to help the Twi'lek bring up lunch from the cantina's kitchens so that she would have a chance to talk to him. "Corso and Jorgan are really at each others' throats."

She was amused to note that Lomning's whole demeanour changed as soon as they left their suite. He was definitely strutting as they walked down the hall together. "There was... ah... a disagreement," he said delicately, motioning for her to go first when they reached the stairs. "Corso didn't approve of some of the words Jorgan was using to describe your methods of information-gathering."

Rian rolled her eyes but held her tongue as they reached the bottom of the stairs. She knew Jorgan still didn't fully approve of her, despite their conversations, but she wished he hadn't said anything. Of course Corso would have stood up for her. She hoped the two of them could set aside their differences but Jorgan hadn't treated either of them very well when they had first met on Ord Mantell. Clearly there was still animosity there, especially if Jorgan kept insulting her in Corso's hearing. Viggota could probably keep the peace for the time being, but that didn't fix any of the underlying problems. She found herself wondering if Lomning would be able to mediate but then shook herself out of her thoughts. Why was she even thinking about long-term solutions? Assuming that Darmas' network came through, she and Corso would hopefully be free to go within the next couple of days.

*****

The atmosphere in their suite was still tense when Rian and Lomning returned with lunch, but there was an air of excitement. "What is it?" Rian asked, eyes flicking to Viggota's.

He gave her a vicious grin. "We've got a lead."

"What, already?" she crowed with delight and slid the tray of food onto the table. "What's the news?"

"A couple of Darmas' people recognized his holo. They said they remember seeing him entering one of the residential areas of the sector a couple of nights ago. Darmas is sending some people in to try to find out if he's still there."

"He has a memorable moustache," she laughed. "And the rest of his crew?"

"Not here, as far as we can tell," Viggota replied. "No one recognized them, at least."

Rian slumped into one of the chairs, relieved. Not that she thought taking down Tavus by himself would be easy, but it would be better than trying to fight his whole team at once.

"Eat up," Viggota said, waving everyone towards the table. "I want to be ready to move as soon as we get confirmation."

*****

The door chimed while they were still picking at the remains of their meals. Jorgan stood to answer it, grunting at the sight of Darmas waiting in the hall. He stepped aside to let the other man in.

"Darmas! Have you got more news already?" Viggota wiped hurriedly at his mouth and set his plate aside.

"Indeed I do," he replied, smiling around the room. His eyes lingered on Rian for a few seconds before she made a "get on with it" gesture. "My network has confirmed that he's in one of the apartments in the Veshok Terrace area. One of my people was able to get a video only a few minutes ago." He pulled out his holocommunicator and keyed it up. The blue glow coalesced into a shaky video sequence as if someone had turned on their wrist computer's camera and was trying to act like they weren't filming as they walked down the street.

The space was cavernous, a wide street bisected by massive slanted beams that held up a series of balconies arching up out of the view of the camera. Clusters of plant pots and solar lights provided incongruous oases of trees and flowering shrubs on the sidewalks and many of the windows were brightly lit from within. It certainly didn't look like the type of seedy area they would have expected to find Tavus hiding in.

Whoever was filming paced over to a bench set beside a cluster of pots and paused there. The video feed steadied, focused on one window in particular. The curtains were partly drawn, but there was movement inside. Rian squinted to try to make it out and Darmas reached for the controls to pause the playback and zoom in. The picture was blurry, but it was clearly Tavus. His head was turned back over his shoulder, talking to someone who was hidden by the curtains.

"Who's he talking to?" Viggota asked, leaning closer.

"I'm not sure," Darmas said, setting the device on the table so that everyone could get a good look at the image. "My people weren't able to get a recording of whoever it is. I've been looking into who rents that apartment, but it's a muddled trail. I have one of my best slicers working on untangling all the threads but it will take some time."

"Show me where it is," Viggota demanded, pulling out his datapad and handing it to Darmas.

The older man opened the sector map and tapped his finger on the screen. "Here, apartment one-sixteen."

Viggota studied the map thoughtfully, tipping the pad slightly when Jorgan came to stand behind him to look at it as well. "Thanks, Darmas. We weren't expecting results this quickly."

The older man bowed elaborately. "I live to serve."

"Lies. It's all about the credits," Rian laughed. Darmas smirked at her. "So what's our next move?"

"We need to get down there, and soon. Do you have people watching him?" Viggota glanced up at Darmas, who nodded. "All right. Call me if you get any new information." The big soldier stood and tucked his datapad away. "Everyone get ready to move. Hopefully we can finish this today."

"What about our gear?" Corso asked. "Our clothes and stuff?"

Viggota paused, then shrugged. "Did you bring anything you don't mind losing? We can try to come back for it, but I can't guarantee we'll be able to."

"Leave it with me," Darmas said, spreading his hands. "I can have it sent to you. You have my holo frequency."

Viggota looked around at the others and then back at Darmas. "That's a very generous offer," he said. "Thanks."

"I've made a lot of money today; I can afford to be generous."

Rian laughed and stood up. "You'd better not charge us extra for storage and delivery," she told Darmas.

He clapped a hand over his heart dramatically. "You wound me, my lovely!" She swatted at him with a grin and he caught her hand, pressing a quick kiss to it. "I'll be next door, when you're ready." She pulled him up and he gave her a smile before collecting his holocom and letting himself out.

"What's everyone waiting for?" she asked, heading for the bedroom to get her things. "Let's get moving."

*****

Rian had been a little worried that Darmas would have tried to delay her with more flirting and innuendo when they dropped off their packs, but he was all business and barely acknowledged any of them other than Viggota. He checked to make sure the promised payment was in his account and assured them he would call if there was any new information.

"We'll let you know when the job's done and what our plans are," Viggota said, stripping off a gauntlet so he could clasp hands with Darmas. "You've been a big help."

"You've been good customers," the man responded. He did flash one quick smile at Rian before they all turned and made their way down the stairs but didn't say anything.

*****

"What's our play?" Rian asked, half-jogging to keep up with Viggota's purposeful strides. She and Lomning were following along in the wake of the wedge created by the three heavily-armoured soldiers. It was the middle of the day but the crowds were sparse. Rian wasn't sure if that was normal for this area or if it was the sight of the five of them that was sending people into hiding.

"We don't know who else may be in that apartment, so we can't just go in with guns blazing," he replied, voice tinny through his helmet's speaker. "We'll set up a perimeter and keep eyes on the target in the hopes of ambushing him when he leaves."

"It's a residential area, Lieutenant," Lomning protested. "We can't risk hurting any of the families that live there." Rian nudged him and mouthed, "Strut," when she noticed that he was falling into his normal pattern and he quickly slipped back into his character.

Rian saw Jorgan's shoulders move under his armour as if he had shrugged but Viggota spoke up before the Cathar could say anything. "You're right. We'll have to try to draw him out somewhere."

"And how do you propose to do that?" Jorgan snarled through his helmet speaker. "We can't exactly walk up and knock on his door."

"Why not?" Lomning asked, smiling when three helmeted heads swivelled towards him. "He doesn't know me, and I don't exactly look like a soldier or a bounty hunter or anyone else that he might think would be coming after him. What if I went to speak with him? I could pretend to be a local. I could see who is there with him, and assess the situation."

"It's not an entirely unworkable idea," Viggota said thoughtfully. He glanced around to get his bearings and turned down a side street.

"Using a civilian as bait?" Jorgan grumbled. "I don't like it."

"I am a member of the Jedi Order, Sergeant," Lomning reminded him calmly. "I am not exactly a civilian."

"I don't like the idea of you going in without backup," Viggota said, pausing in front of an abandoned shop. The windows were all broken and the interior covered in graffiti and piles of trash. He flipped his visor up to meet Lomning's eyes.

"No offense, but none of the rest of you can pass as an innocuous civilian," Lomning said. "And there's the possibly that he might recognize Rian and Corso from the time they were in custody on Ord Mantell. I am a stranger to him, so I am the only one who might be able to pull this off."

Viggota chewed thoughtfully on his bottom lip, then nodded. "All right. But you're there to gather information. Keep your comm line open and don't put yourself in any unnecessary danger."

"Understood," Lomning said. "Don't worry," he added with a reassuring smile. "I do not plan to do anything to raise his suspicions."

*****

Viggota was hesitant to get too close to the apartment, worried that word would travel through the area that five heavily armed strangers had been spotted on the street. Even if Tavus didn't know for sure that it was the remains of Havoc Squad, he would still run first and figure out if they had actually been after him later. The streets had been surprisingly empty as they had approached Tavus' hiding spot. The people that lived here obviously didn't want anything to do with them.

"We need to get off the streets," Jorgan said, clearly sharing his CO's concerns. "We're too exposed here, and I'm sure people are already talking."

"There," Rian said, pointing to another abandoned building. This one looked like it had once been a restaurant, though the neon sign was smashed beyond recognition. The windows were barred with heavy metal shutters, which had saved them from being broken, and the door was still tightly closed. The power to the building had long since been cut but the electronic lock was supplemented with a mechanical one that seemed to have been enough to dissuade potential scavengers. The soldiers formed a shield around Rian as she worked quickly with her lock picks to get it open. She grunted in satisfaction when she heard it click and pushed through into the building.

Tables and chairs had been stacked neatly to one side and the floor swept clean. It looked like it hadn't been abandoned in a hurry but carefully closed up with the proprietor probably hoping to return after the war was over. A thin layer of dust coated every surface and the air smelled stale but other than that everything was in order.

Rian lifted down chairs for everyone, arranging them in a semicircle around one of the dusty tables as the soldiers did a quick sweep of the building.

"All clear," Jorgan announced, leaning his assault cannon against the side of his chair so that he could sit down. He tugged his helmet off and set it on the ground beside him. Lomning had disappeared into the back and came back with a handful of rags to wipe off the table with, making Corso and Viggota move their helmets to the floor with tiny shooing motions.

Viggota didn't bother to sit down, just braced his hands on the back of his chair and leaned forward. "Here's how it's going to go. Lomning, you're on your own from here. You know where you're going?" He paused to glance at the Jedi, who nodded. "I leave the exact details of the operation up to you but you need to get eyes in that apartment and let us know who's there with him, then get out and get back here so we can plan our next step. Keep your comm channel open at all times and holler the second you need backup."

Lomning bowed gracefully. "I will do my best."

"I know you will." Viggota straightened up and reached out to clasp forearms with the big Twi'lek. "Good luck."

The Jedi smiled serenely, bowed to the others, and let himself out of the building. Rian followed to lock the door behind him, pressing her palms against the heavy door and wishing she was going too. She knew the Jedi could handle himself, but she didn't do well with being left behind to wait. She wanted to be out doing something, rather than cooling her heels here.

The three men were seated at the table when she turned back around. Corso was cleaning his blaster pistol, absently breaking it down and wiping each component with a rag before reassembling it with deft movements. Jorgan was watching closely, surprised approval on his face as he realized the kid knew what he was doing. Viggota was studying his datapad, tracking the blip that was Lomning's communicator as he slowly approached the apartment.

Rian slid into an unoccupied chair, absently pulling out a credit chip and making it walk across her knuckles as she listened to Lomning's steady breathing through the datapad's speaker. She flipped the chip up into the air, watching it spin before snatching it with a quick movement, alternating hands to keep her fingers busy.

At last, they heard the chirp of a door panel as Lomning entered the apartment building and tapped on the controls beside apartment one-sixteen. There was a long pause before the door hissed open.

"Good afternoon," Lomning said, voice tinny but clear through the small speaker. "I'm looking for Graben."

"I think you've got the wrong apartment," Tavus' voice was suspicious and they heard shuffling as if he was moving to get a look down the hall.

"This isn't one-sixteen?" Lomning asked in puzzlement. "I was told to meet him here. He said he has an old speeder for sale that I wanted to look at."

"He's not here," Tavus growled. "You've got the wrong address." They all heard the beep when he thumbed the controls to shut the door and the error chime when it failed to close properly. "What...? Tobie, move." His voice was gruff but somehow sounded softer. "I told you to stay away from the door."

"Hello, young man," Lomning said. "How are you?" Rian blinked at the others around the table. It sounded like Lomning was talking to a child.

"Hi, mister," came a cheerful voice. Tobie didn't sound like he was more than five or six Standard years old. "How come you're blue?"

Lomning laughed and they heard the rustle of cloth as he presumably knelt down to get to eye level. "I was born this way," he said. "I'm a Twi'lek. We come in different colours than you do."

"Tobie," Tavus' voice had a note of warning in it. "Get back inside. Now."

"Okay," the boy sounded a bit sad. "Bye, blue man."

"Goodbye, Tobie," Lomning replied. "It was nice to meet you." There was a brief pause before he spoke again. "Your son is charming," he said to Tavus. "How old is he?"

The older man's voice softened again. "Almost six."

"I have a cousin about that age," Lomning replied. "I don't get to see him as often as I'd like, though."

Tavus cleared his throat, clearly remembering that he was talking to a stranger about something that he had obviously kept a secret from everyone. Jorgan looked completely surprised. "Sorry I wasn't able to help. I hope you can find Graben."

"Thank you," the Jedi replied. "I'll have to contact him again to confirm the address. I'm sorry to have disturbed you." This time, the sound of Tavus thumbing the controls was immediately followed by the hiss of the door closing, then Lomning's footsteps as he walked back down the hall.

"Get back here as quick as you can," Viggota said to Lomning through his communicator. The Twi'lek hummed an affirmative but didn't say anything.

"Did you know about this?" Corso asked into the tense silence.

Both troopers shook their heads. "Not a clue," Jorgan replied. "He was always pretty tight-lipped about his personal life, but I didn't work with him for very long. I know his parents died in the sacking of Coruscant, but he never talked about it. I don't remember reading anything about any other family on his file."

"I don't even think General Garza knows," Viggota said, tapping his gauntleted fingers absently on the edge of the table. "If she'd known that Tavus had a kid here, securing him would have been her first move."

Corso blinked at him. "That's horrible."

"It makes good tactical sense," Jorgan countered.

Corso turned to Rian. "Captain, you can't possibly agree with that!"

She shrugged. "I can see where they're coming from, but no, I wouldn't use a child like that." Corso looked relieved but any further comments were forestalled by Lomning's voice.

"I am nearly there," he said quietly, and Rian hopped up out of her seat to unlock the door. She peered through a chink in the shutters and pulled the door open just as Lomning climbed the steps. He slipped inside and she locked it again behind him.

"So," Viggota said, waving Lomning to a chair. "Complications."

The Jedi nodded, crossing the room to sit down. "There is a woman there too, Human, perhaps a little younger than Tavus. She looked worried."

"I can't imagine why," Jorgan growled. "I assume Tavus is trying to convince her to go with him to the Empire."

"That would seem likely," Lomning agreed. "We cannot mount an assault, not with her and the boy in the apartment."

Viggota looked regretful, but shook his head. "They're innocents. We can't chance them getting injured. What are our options?"

"Wait until he leaves, and ambush him before he can get out of the sector," Jorgan said promptly.

"What if he takes the kid with him?" Corso asked, shaking his head.

"We may have to take that risk," Viggota said. "Jorgan's a sniper. He may be able to take Tavus out without hurting his family."

The Cathar shrugged. "I can try. This isn't exactly a sniper rifle, though," he said, tapping the barrel of his assault cannon. "And Tavus is smart. There's no guarantee that I'll be able to get a clean shot. He'll have planned his route to give him maximum cover. We know that Republic soldiers aren't welcome here, and his records would still show him as the commander of Havoc Squad. General Garza hasn't changed that yet because she doesn't want word getting out about the defection until we have a chance to contain the situation."

"I'll do it, then," Rian said with a shrug. "These are accurate enough," she said, curling her hands around the grip of her pistols.

Viggota nodded. "The two of you will be able to cover more ground together. But until we know where he's going, we won't know where to try to catch him out."

"Do we know how he got in here?" Corso asked. "I imagine he'll try to get out the same way."

"We think he may have stowed away in a shipment going to the Justicars' loading docks," Viggota said, looking down at his datapad again. "That would have meant he'd have had help, but we don't know who it might be."

"He must have a plan, though," Rian said. "No one who's that well-prepared is going to walk into enemy territory without an exit."

"I'm sure he does," Viggota agreed. "We just don't know it. It's possible he's got friends in here that will be able to help him get out, or maybe he's got another plan. There's no way for us to know for sure."

Rian made a noise of frustration. She was so close to regaining her freedom. "We could split up. There's only so many ways out of this area."

"We could," Viggota allowed. "But I don't like it."

She shrugged. "I don't either, but it might be our only shot."

"There is one other possibility," Lomning said hesitantly. "I could return and speak to him again. Some Jedi have the ability to influence people. I could suggest to him that he come with me quietly."

The others looked uncomfortable, and Rian squirmed in her seat. She agreed that it might be the best course of action, but the thought of someone messing around in her head and telling her what to think wasn't a comfortable one. She wasn't sure she wanted to be part of deciding to inflict that on someone else. But it might save lives, and she trusted Lomning to not abuse his power, so she shrugged. "It's definitely a possibility. The quicker and quieter we can get this done, the better."

"What if it doesn't work?" Jorgan asked. "What if he's resistant, or doesn't listen, or is too suspicious of you?"

"That is the danger," Lomning replied. "Though I am confident in my ability to protect myself should it come to that."

"You won't be able to go in alone," Rian said. "As soon as you hypnotize Tavus, or whatever you call it," she added, wiggling her fingers at the Jedi, "That woman is going to know something's up. Someone's going to need to be there to deal with her and the kid."

"We can't just walk up with Lomning, though," Viggota said. "Tavus knows us, and you two aren't exactly inconspicuous, even if he doesn't recognize you. He'd know right away that something was up."

Rian shrugged. "It's on the first floor. I wouldn't have any problems getting in through one of those windows."

"It's as good a plan as any," Viggota said with a shrug. "Let's go, before we lose him again."


	21. Chapter 21

Corso hadn't been happy to be left behind with Viggota and Jorgan, but had reluctantly admitted that his heavy durasteel armour made him very conspicuous on the street. Rian's armoured jacket and the blasters on her hips weren't entirely ordinary but the sector wasn't exactly safe, even with the Justicars' draconian rules, and it was common enough for civilians to carry weapons.

"Take these," Viggota said, handing stuncuffs to Rian and Lomning. "I don't care if you've worked your magic on him," he said to Lomning. "Get those on him as soon as you can, just in case. Those," he said, pointing to the ones Rian was holding, "Are backups, or for the woman. Use your judgement." Rian nodded, tucking them away in one of the pockets on her belt. She didn't like the idea of using them but she would if she had to. "Bring them all straight back here as quick as you can, and holler if you need help."

Lomning used the Force to check that the street was clear before they stepped outside, and Rian heard the click of the door being locked behind them as they walked away. "We should split up before we get in view of his apartment," Rian told the Jedi. "If he sees us together he'll be even more suspicious when you show up at his door again."

"Good idea," Viggota said in her ear. She was going to have to remember that they could all hear her. "Rian, do you think you could circle around and come at the building from the other direction?"

"Probably," she replied, glancing around. "There are a lot of alleys around here."

"Be careful," the soldier said and then fell silent. Rian nodded to Lomning and jogged towards a narrow passageway on her left, careful of her footing. The roadways were clear but it seemed that the Justicars' work details didn't tend to focus on the alleys.

She had a good sense of direction but the building materials used in the Undercity tended to be mass-produced and every wall looked the same so she relied on her wrist computer to make sure she hadn't gotten turned around. "Almost in position," she murmured as she neared the end of the alley, knowing the microphone clipped to her collar was sensitive enough to pick up her voice.

"Lomning?" Viggota asked. Rian thought he sounded nervous.

"At the building now," the Jedi said softly, his voice nearly inaudible even through her earpiece. She sauntered out onto the street, trying to look casual, and headed for the windows that she recognized from Darmas' holorecording.

Since the lower levels of Coruscant had no real weather to speak of thanks to the levels of world-spanning buildings that created a roof overhead, it was common for the homes in the cheaper sectors to have open windows instead of glass. They all had shutters that could be closed to secure the apartment, but most people tended to keep them open during the day. Thankfully, Tavus was no exception. Rian wondered briefly about that but she figured that it would have drawn attention from curious and nosy neighbours if they had been suddenly closed one day. Curtains gave the interior enough privacy from the casual passer-by, assuming the people inside kept their voices down.

Rian was only a few feet from her target when she heard the door chime. The sound came from the open window two feet above her head as well as through her earpiece and she heard Tavus' heavy footsteps as he went to open the door.

"You again?" he sounded angry when he spotted Lomning. "Didn't I tell you that you had the wrong address?"

"You did," Lomning said calmly. "But I think you should come with me and we can sort it out." His voice sounded different, Rian mused even as she took two running steps towards the window. Stronger, more commanding. Not that they didn't usually give his words due attention, but there was something compelling about it now. She jumped, left boot hitting the back of the bench that Darmas' videographer had paused at and pushing off to launch her towards the window. She grabbed the frame with both hands and vaulted through the opening.

There was a table beneath the window and she slid across it on her hip before landing in a neat crouch on the floor. Tavus was standing in the doorway with his back to her, all his attention on Lomning, who was slowly backing away and leading the man into the hall. A short, high scream helped her to locate the woman, who had cowered back against the couch at Rian's sudden appearance. The boy - Tobie - was a few feet from Rian, looking around in confusion at the sudden appearance of two strangers in his house.

Rian had to give the woman credit as she dove for the end table. Either she had some training of her own or Tavus had decided that she needed to learn to defend herself, because she hadn't frozen for long. Rian was faster, though, and when the woman looked up, she was staring straight down Flashy's barrel.

"Mommy?" Tobie asked uncertainly, inching closer. Tavus was fully out in the hallway now and he and Lomning were out of Rian's sight.

"Hey there, kiddo," Rian said with a quick smile down at the brown-haired young boy. She slipped an arm around his shoulders when he got close enough and carefully maneuvered him behind her so that she could shield him with her body while Flashy stayed pointed squarely at the blond woman and the tiny blaster she had grabbed from the side table. "I'd put that down, if I were you."

"Let my son go!" she shouted, blaster trembling in her hand.

"He won't be harmed. Please, put the blaster down and come with me." Rian kept a light touch on Tobie's shoulders, but the boy stayed frozen behind her.

"Let him go, you monster!"

"I promise, I'm not going to hurt him," Rian said, sliding a slow step closer. "I'm Rian. My friend Lomning is outside with your husband. We need you to please come with us. We're not here to hurt you. We need your husband's help." She took another careful step. "What's your name?"

The woman regarded her suspiciously. "Danya," she said, eyes flicking to Tobie. "Tobie, sweetheart, come here. Are you all right?"

Rian felt Tobie slip out from under her fingers as he ran to his mother's side. His eyes were huge in his pale face but he wasn't crying. "Come on, Danya. Put the blaster down, and we'll follow your husband. You're not safe here," she improvised. "The Justicars know where he is."

Danya's eyes widened and her hand shook. Rian managed to get another step closer as the woman wrapped her free arm protectively around her son's small body. She was almost close enough to get to the blaster. "You have to help us," the woman said urgently. "Don't let them find us."

"We've got a hideout," Rian said, shifting her weight so she would be ready to make a grab for the blaster if she had to. "Come with us. We'll protect you."

"Promise?" the woman asked, blaster starting to tilt downwards.

Rian nodded, taking a risk and lowering her arm to her side. The woman quickly dropped the blaster onto the couch and wrapped her arms tightly around Tobie. "I have a bag ready."

"Get it, quickly," Rian said, stooping to grab Danya's blaster. She flicked the safety on and slipped it into her jacket pocket. Danya picked up Tobie and hurried into the other room. Rian followed right on her heels, keeping a careful eye on her to make sure she didn't make a run for it. As promised, she had a bag packed and tucked under a chair right beside the door. She looped the strap across her torso and hoisted her son up.

"Hang on tight, Tobie, just like we practiced," she told him quietly, then turned to Rian. "You had better not be lying to us."

"We'll take care of you, don't worry." She gestured for Danya to lead the way out of the apartment.

Lomning and Tavus were down at the end of the hall near the main doors, and Rian hesitated. She could see the Jedi still speaking quietly to the man and didn't want to let the woman get too close. She would get suspicious if she saw the cuffs and heard the Jedi's commands. "Is there a back exit?" she asked Danya.

"Yes, that way," she said, pointing to a second hallway that branched off the man one.

"There's a back door," Rian murmured into her mic. "Follow us. We'll scout ahead, you make sure no one's following us." She waved Danya ahead of her. "Come on - we've got to move."

Thankfully, the woman turned and hurried down the hall with no further questions. Rian was glad that she wasn't going to have to fight her all the way back to where the others were waiting. Hopefully she could keep her from discovering the truth for a while longer.

"Where are we headed?" Danya asked, peeking around the edge of the door before following Rian out into the alley behind the building. "We shouldn't take the main roads."

"I've got it covered," Rian replied, motioning for the woman to follow her. "We should keep moving. We need to make sure the way is clear for Lomning and your husband."

Danya nodded, hiking Tobie up higher on her hip. "He told me that the Justicars would come after him if they found out he was here. Do you know how they found out?"

Rian placed a finger against her lips, motioning for the woman to stay quiet as she peeked around the next corner. She didn't think that there was any chance of encountering trouble on the way back but if it kept Danya from asking inconvenient questions she would play it up. The woman nodded her understanding and followed Rian quickly, peering down at the ground in front of her to make sure she didn't trip over any of the debris that clogged the narrow alleys.

"Still with us, Lomning?" she asked, nodding encouragement to Danya when she got an affirmative answer. "They're doing just fine. No sign of pursuit yet."

"Good," the woman said fervently, adjusting her grip on Tobie again. He must be getting heavy, but she didn't complain. Rian was impressed at how calm and quiet he was staying, but it made sense if this was something Danya had practiced with him. Rian wondered if it had been Tavus' idea, or Danya's.

"We're almost there," she told her with a reassuring smile.

The last few turnings were uneventful and Rian paused to survey the street by the abandoned restaurant and to let Danya rest her arms for a moment. "I'm ready," the woman said, lifting her son up again with a grunt.

Rian nodded and took one last look up and down the street. "We're heading for the door," she said into her mic. "Lomning and Tavus are a few minutes behind us."

"It's unlocked," Viggota replied in her ear. "Good work, you two."

"Come on," Rian said, motioning for Danya to follow as she jogged across the street. The door of the restaurant swung open at their approach and she waved the woman inside. Jorgan closed the door again behind them and Rian holstered her blaster and patted Danya on the shoulder. "You can put him down now. Let's take Tobie in the back so my team can talk to your husband."

"Why do you want us out of the way?" Danya asked suspiciously, arms tightening around her son. Her eyes darted around the room and she backed away quickly from Jorgan's ferocious visage. "Who are you people?"

"I'm coming to the door," Lomning said in their earpieces and Rian moved quickly forward to bully Danya and Tobie out of the way. Jorgan yanked the door open and Lomning and Tavus stepped inside.

Tavus looked like a sleepwalker, eyes unfocused and muscles loose. His hands were cuffed behind him and Lomning had one hand tucked around Tavus' upper arm to help direct him.

"What have you done to him?" Danya asked, voice going high and scared. "What's going on?" She turned to Rian, clutching Tobie tightly. "You promised! You promised you wouldn't hurt us!"

"We won't," Rian said, holding her hands up to show that they were empty. "Like I said, we need Tavus' help."

Viggota curled his hand around Rian's shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze. She stepped aside to let him take over. "Ma'am, my name is Viggota. Your husband has been in contact with the Empire. We've been sent to retrieve him before he could leave Republic space."

"I know what he's been doing!" Danya snapped. "He's defecting. He came to get me and Tobie so we could all go together. The Republic was going to ruin him. They'd already abandoned him once, and nearly got him killed. The Empire respects warriors. We'll be safe there, have a life together."

"Sir," Jorgan said softly from behind them. Rian glanced back quickly. Lomning was looking strained, muscles tight along his jaw.

"Lomning?" Viggota asked, turning away from Danya.

"I cannot hold the compulsion very much longer," he said, normally calm voice sounding tense.

"Get him into a chair," Viggota said, striding across the room to push one closer to Tavus. The Jedi murmured softly to the older man and he sat down somewhat awkwardly with his bound hands. Danya made a choked noise as Viggota unfastened the cuffs just long enough to wrap them securely around the chair and then snapped them back on.

"Ma'am, perhaps you should take a seat too," Jorgan said from behind Rian's shoulder. Danya shrank further away from the Cathar, arms tensing around Tobie.

"I've got this," Corso said, stepping in front of Rian and Jorgan. "Ma'am, my name is Corso. Can I help you to a chair?" He crouched down a bit to peer at the boy. "Hi there, Tobie. You doing okay?"

Corso's earnest face seemed to do the trick and Danya relaxed fractionally. "I'm Danya. Please, what do you want from us?"

"To keep you safe," Corso said, holding a hand out to gesture Danya towards a chair. "We didn't know about you or Tobie when we set out to find your husband, but now that we know, we're not going to let anything happen to you." He pulled up another chair for Tobie, then sat in it himself when the boy wouldn't leave his mother's arms.

"What's going to happen to Harron?" Danya asked in a quiet voice.

"I'm not quite sure," Corso admitted. "A lot of that will depend on him, I imagine."

"What does that mean?" she asked, arms tensing around Tobie again.

"He'll be going to jail, most likely," Viggota said, looking down at Tavus sadly. "He'll help his cause a lot if he cooperates, though."

"Who are you people?" Danya asked again, face buried in her son's hair.

"Classified, Ma'am," Viggota said, nodding to Lomning to release the compulsion.

Tavus blinked, shaking his head slowly. "What...?" His head snapped up, eyes darting around wildly. He scowled at the sight of Lomning and then gaped when he recognized Viggota. "What? But... you're dead!"

"Harron!" Danya would have run to Tavus if Rian hadn't stepped in front of her.

"Danya? Danya! Tobie!" Tavus jerked at his restraints. "What are you doing? Let them go!"

"You're not in a position to make demands," Jorgan growled from near the door.

"Don't you dare hurt them!" Rian could hear Danya starting to sob quietly into Tobie's hair. The boy looked terrified and on the verge of tears himself.

"Nothing's going to happen to them," Viggota said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I can promise they'll be protected."

"By the Republic?" Tavus spat on the ground beside Viggota's boots. "You know what those spineless cowards did on Ando Prime. I wouldn't trust them to guard an empty building, let alone my family."

"Lieutenant," Lomning said suddenly, whole body going tense. "We are about to have company."

Rian jerked her head around towards the door. Jorgan peered through the chink in the shutters and swore. "Movement on the street. I can see at least three men approaching. Dressed in civvies, but carrying Imperial weapons."

Viggota hauled Tavus' chair over, laying the man on his side. "Stay still! Corso, protect them," he said, jerking his head at Danya and Tobie. "Lomning, can you shield Tavus?" The Jedi nodded, reaching into his jacket for his lightsaber. "Rian, watch the back door." He strode quickly to the table and tossed Jorgan his helmet before putting on his own and picking up both assault cannons. He and the Cathar took up positions by the door as Rian hurried for the kitchen.

The back door was the same solid construction as the front one and Rian couldn't hear anything outside. Her heartbeat was thundering in her ears as she took cover behind one of the long islands in the middle of the kitchen and curled her hands around her blasters.

"Two more out front," Jorgan said quietly in her ear. "I don't see anyone on the rooftops. They must not have any snipers with them."

"Weapons?" Viggota asked, voice calm.

"Mostly rifles. I see one with a pistol. I don't see any grenades or explosives."

"That's something at least," Corso muttered. Rian could hear Danya's muffled sobs and Tobie's quick, frightened breathing through his mic. He must be right on top of them.

"Everyone ready?" Viggota asked, waiting for a confirmation from everyone.

"Good," Jorgan said. "Because here they come."

*****

Rian was unsurprised when the attack came from the rear first. A quick double shot from a blaster rifle took care of the lock and the door slammed open. Three men burst inside. Rian's first shot took one in the knee and he went down with a scream of pain. She dove back into cover as the other two levelled their rifles at her. She rolled, coming up at the other end of the counter and shot the second man in the head. He dropped like a stone and she jerked to one side to avoid the last man's return fire.

She could hear fighting in the main room behind her but didn't let it distract her. The last man had ducked behind a refrigeration unit and was peppering the room with random fire. She couldn't get a clear shot at him and the first man was slowly dragging himself across the floor to try to get line of sight on her. She fired off a pair of bolts to give him second thoughts about that and looked around quickly.

The man hiding behind the refrigerator seemed to be following a pattern - he would squeeze off a handful of shots, strafing the kitchen, then pause briefly to see if she would return fire. She holstered one of her blasters and waited for the next pause, then sprang into action.

She uncoiled from behind the counter, vaulting onto it in a quick motion. A shot to her left drove the first man back into cover and she used her momentum to slide the length of the counter and drop off the end of it, which gave her a clear shot at the last man. Her first shot caught him in the arm as he tried to turn his rifle towards her and the second burned through his throat. He slumped to the ground and she pressed her back up against the end of the counter, breathing hard.

The injured man was cursing quietly to himself at the far end of the kitchen. She rolled to her feet and crept silently down the length of the counter, staying hunched over so he couldn't see her. She stopped just before the end of it and pulled out her other blaster. She could still hear the sounds of combat from the other room but didn't dare risk a glance behind her. She couldn't leave this man alive, even injured as he was.

She knew the injury would have sapped his strength and slowed his reaction time so she took a calculated risk in leaning around the end of the counter to shoot at him. A blaster bolt went past so close to her that she could feel the heat against the side of her face but he missed cleanly. She didn't. He didn't even have time to scream before she shot him in the head.

She vaulted quickly over the counter again and pushed the heavy door shut as best as she could with the melted mess they had made of the lock. She shoved one of the bodies in front of it in case anyone else tried to come in that way. At least it would slow them down somewhat.

Viggota and Jorgan were standing shoulder to shoulder in front of Lomning, who was crouched down to shield Tavus. Blaster bolts skimmed off their shields and their armour. Corso was off to the side, kneeling in front of Danya and Tobie who were huddled behind him, Danya with her body curled around her son's. Three dead men were slumped in the doorway, making the others still outside climb over their bodies.

The deep sound of the assault cannons and Corso's rifle was deafening in the enclosed space. Even as Rian stepped around the corner another of their attackers fell. She rolled into cover behind a convenient table and fired Flashy towards the door. She had a slightly different angle than the soldiers did and her bolt sliced across the arm of one of the men outside, who fell back with a pained cry.

"Surrender!" one of the men yelled, his accent pure Imperial.

"Not a chance," Viggota grunted, letting another volley fly. "We're not letting you have Tavus."

"You think we will let you have him instead?" the man replied with a sneer in his voice.

"You'll have to go through us to get to him," the big trooper said, adjusting his grip on his assault cannon. Rian took another quick shot through the doorway when she spotted movement, but the man jerked back out of view.

"If that's the way you want to play it, we can accommodate you," the man replied.

There was a moment's pause and then a grenade bounced through the door and rolled towards the corner where Corso knelt in front of Danya and Tobie.


	22. Chapter 22

Rian dove for the kitchen door, vaulting over the counter and dropping to the ground behind it. The roar of the explosion was deafening and a wave of heat rushed through the room. She was on her feet the instant it had passed and racing back into the fray. Corso was down, folded over Danya and Tobie with his shield generator sparking and hissing smoke. Viggota and Jorgan were climbing shakily to their feet and bringing their guns back up. Their armour was scorched but their shields had saved them from serious harm. Lomning was still crouched over Tavus with a shimmering dome of Force covering them both. It didn't look like either of them were injured.

The remaining men outside were storming into the building, trying to take advantage of the blast. Rian raised her blasters and dropped the first one with a half-dozen shots to the chest that punched through his armoured jacket. She hit the second one in the shoulder before she had to duck and roll away from his return fire. It gave Viggota and Jorgan enough time to finish lifting their assault cannons, and that turned the tide. The last two men fell under their fire and Rian ran to Corso's side.

"Don't you dare be dead, Farm Boy. I will be so blasted mad at you!" She dropped her blasters and crouched beside him. There was movement under him - it seemed he had managed to shield Danya and Tobie enough to save them. She pulled at his shoulder, trying to roll him over to make sure he was okay.

Then Lomning was beside her, helping her to move him, healing energies already flowing from his hands as she pulled at the latches on Corso's helmet. She eased it off just as his eyes fluttered open. He had blood trickling from his nose and mouth but his lips twisted into a smile at the sight of her.

"Worried 'bout me, Captain?"

"Blasted right I was, Farm Boy. Who told you to be the big damn hero?"

"They're all right?" he asked anxiously, then coughed.

She pressed down on his shoulder to keep him from moving as Lomning worked and glanced to the side where Danya was slowly uncurling from her protective pose around Tobie. "Yeah, I think so. Good job, Riggs."

"Thanks, Captain," he said, eyes closing with a sigh. She cast a quick look at Lomning, who smiled reassuringly.

"He will be fine, Rian. His shield took most of the blast. I am healing the last of the damage. Just let him rest for a few moments."

She let out a quick breath and grabbed for her blasters again to cover her relief. She thumbed the safeties back on and slid them into their holsters as Lomning turned to Danya and Tobie.

Viggota and Jorgan were working to clear the doorway so they could close the door again. Rian was surprised to see that they were dragging the bodies through into the kitchen so Tobie wouldn't have to look at them though there wasn't much they could do about the blood on the floor. Tavus was still down, cuffed to the overturned chair, and staring over at the group clustered in the corner with astonishment on his face. Rian pushed herself to her feet and walked over to right the chair. It took most of her strength since Tavus wasn't exactly a small man, but she managed.

"They should be dead," he said, voice barely more than a hoarse whisper. "They didn't care, did they? The Imps. They were going to kill us all, kill my son."

"Guess they figured if they couldn't have you, no one else could either," Rian said, rolling her shoulders with a wince. She'd jolted one of them going over the counter, but it was better than getting caught in that explosion without a shield. She had seen what it had done to the bodies in the doorway.

Tavus looked up suddenly, locking eyes with her. "Why did you save us?"

She shrugged. "You may have made some bad decisions, but they didn't deserve to pay for them." She jerked her chin towards where Lomning was helping Danya and Tobie up. They moved stiffly across the room towards Tavus, keeping a wary eye on Viggota and Jorgan. Neither soldier moved to stop them and Tobie climbed up into Tavus' lap and put his skinny arms around his neck. Danya had to hold onto him to keep him from falling, since Tavus' arms were still cuffed behind him.

"You're okay?" he asked them hoarsely. Danya nodded, tears spilling down her face. She dropped to her knees and hugged them both. Tavus blinked hard, eyes wet. "Good." He looked up at Viggota when the trooper pulled off his helmet, shoulders slumping. "You saved my family. The Empire didn't care. They should be dead. We should all be dead." He shook his head slowly. "I don't know what to do any more. Danya and Tobie don't deserve to get tangled up in this."

Rian blinked at the words. The sentiment was very nearly the same one she'd expressed to Corso when Garza had forced her into this job. "I can get them out," she found herself saying to Tavus. "Vig and Jorgan have to take you back, but no one knows about your family. I can get them off-planet, get them new identities, a new home. They'll be safe."

Everyone was staring at her, and she fought to keep her gaze locked on Tavus. "You'd do that?" he asked, surprised.

"Every kid deserves a chance to grow up safe," she said gruffly. She jammed her hands into her pockets, trying to look casual. "It's nothing I haven't done before. It's not hard if you know the right people."

"There's no way they'll let you," Tavus said, jerking his head over his shoulder to where Viggota and Jorgan were watching silently.

Rian looked up at the two soldiers. Viggota agreed immediately but to her surprise, Jorgan was nodding too. "Do it," Viggota said. "They didn't have anything to do with this. They don't deserve to live their lives in prison."

Tavus closed his eyes, relief sweeping over his face. "Danya, go with her. She'll make sure you two are safe."

"Harron, no! What about you?" Fresh tears spilled over Danya's cheeks.

"I'll be all right." He sighed deeply. "I made a mistake, a bad one. I need to help make this right. Maybe someday I'll be able to come find you again. But I want to go into this knowing that you're safe, and free."

She searched his face and then finally nodded, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him and Tobie tightly. "I love you," she whispered against his cheek and Rian looked away, letting them have a moment of privacy.

Tavus finally lifted his head from Danya's hair and met Viggota's eyes. "So what's your plan? Were you just planning on walking me out of here?"

"I assume you have an exit planned," Rian said, looking down at him. "How were you getting out?"

"The Imps were supposed to extract us," he said with a grimace.

"I can't imagine you don't have a backup plan," Rian said with a shake of her head. "You've been around. You know better than to leave your life in someone else's plan. What is it?"

Tavus sighed heavily. "I've got a forged ident card saying I'm a registered courier, but I don't know how well it would stand up to a close inspection." He jerked his chin towards his breast pocket and Rian pulled out the card. She scanned it with her wrist computer and shrugged.

"Looks okay to me. You're probably right that it wouldn't stand up to anyone digging into it, but it'll be fine if you're walking out with us."

"And us?" Danya asked, still kneeling beside Tavus' chair.

Rian tilted her head thoughtfully. "I assume your records are clean? Civilians, no arrests?" The woman nodded and the Twi'lek shrugged. "Then just walk out. They can't stop you, right? People aren't trapped down here because of the Justicars, they're trapped down here because they don't have anywhere better to go."

"Would it really be that easy?" Corso asked. He was sitting up next to Lomning, but leaning back against the wall with his helmet and his rifle beside him.

"I don't see why not," she replied with a shrug. "You're not connected to the Republic Military or to the Coruscant Security Forces, and neither of you have a criminal record. You should just be able to present your identification cards and walk out."

Danya was starting to look cautiously hopeful. "What about you?"

"I have to stick with them," she said, jerking her thumb at the others. "We came into the sector together, so we'll have to leave together. I can meet you outside, though. We'll have eyes on you the whole time."

She nodded firmly, pulling Tobie into her lap and hugging him tightly. "We can do it."

"Good," Viggota said. "Tavus, are you okay with this?"

"If you think it will work," he said, looking down at Danya and Tobie.

"It's a workable plan," Jorgan said. He was standing near the kitchen door with his arms crossed over his armoured chest. "It's got a good chance to succeed."

"Call Garza," Rian said. "Tell her you've found him and are bringing him out."

Viggota nodded, reaching for his holocommunicator. He and Jorgan moved to the kitchen to make sure that Garza wouldn't get a glimpse of Danya and Tobie.

"You two need to stay quiet," Rian said, crouching down beside the woman and her child. "She can't know about you, or getting you off-planet will be a lot harder."

Danya nodded, rocking Tobie gently on her lap and hugging him close. Tavus watched them intently, emotion raw on his face. Rian walked over to Corso and Lomning, easing herself down to sit beside them.

"That was a good thing you did, Captain," Corso said, leaning his head back against the wall and closing his eyes.

"Any of you would have done the same," she said with a shrug.

"Still," Lomning said from her other side. "I know they appreciate it, more than I think you're aware."

"Oh trust me," she said quietly. "I'm aware."

*****

Rian felt like she had a target painted between her shoulder blades as the Justicars scanned Tavus' card and looked up suspiciously at the heavily armed people he was travelling with. They had given him Danya's blaster pistol, but had taken the power pack out. It wouldn't have made sense for him to be unarmed but none of them trusted him enough to give him a live weapon.

"Why are you in the company of these individuals?" the officer asked. It wasn't the same one that had scanned them through the day before, though Rian did recognize a couple of the soldiers. The one she had threatened was nowhere in evidence and she wondered if he was just off rotation or if he had gotten moved to a different duty. Hopefully something onerous.

"The information I'm carrying is time-sensitive," Tavus said, planting his hands on his hips. "Since we're going the same way, I've asked these folks if I can travel with them. Safety in numbers and all that."

The officer looked up at Viggota, who shrugged. "He's decent with a blaster. No hardship to us to have him tagging along."

"All right," the officer said, handing his card back. "Have a pleasant day."

Viggota nodded and waved for his team to precede him through the checkpoint. Up ahead of them, Rian could see Danya and Tobie already at the Republic's wall. They had gotten through the Justicars' checkpoint with no problems and Tavus had been visibly relieved.

Rian glanced down at her wrist computer as they strode across the space that separated the Justicars' checkpoint from the Republic one. There was a message in there from Darmas, and not good news. He'd managed to locate Kyven's grandson. He hadn't made it. The Justicars had executed him as a traitor within the first two months that he had been in their sector. She knew it wasn't the news Kyven would have wanted, but she had sent him the information anyways in the hopes that his family would finally find closure.

On the Republic side of the wall, Rian lined up with the others to have her card scanned. They only got a cursory glance from the soldiers before they were waved through and made their way to the taxis.

Tavus had his hands jammed into his pockets and his face went tight when he saw Danya and Tobie waiting by the taxi stand. They had already said their goodbyes back at the empty restaurant. He knew that Garza would have access to the security cameras in this area and didn't want to draw her attention to his family. Since he was cooperating, they would likely be safe but Rian knew it was wise not to give that woman any leverage at all. She clasped forearms with Viggota and Jorgan and watched them lead Tavus to a waiting taxi. She took a deep breath and let it out with a smile. She was finally free. Sure, that rat Skavak was still out there somewhere with her ship, but she'd find a way. She always did.

The three of them slipped into a taxi behind Danya and Tobie, and Rian kept a careful eye on the hovercar in front of her as they merged into one of the stacks of traffic. The taxi stand at the Senate Tower was close enough to the spaceport that they would be able to slip into the crowds and meet up with Danya and Tobie without too much trouble. Rian knew of a few blind spots in the security camera network and had told Danya to wait in one of them.

She still had Garza's credstick but she accessed one of her own accounts instead as she withdrew enough money for a pair of shuttle passes to wherever Danya might want to go. By the time Danya had gotten to her destination, Rian would have arranged a job and an apartment for her, thanks to Kixi. The Mirialan woman had only been too happy to help when she had gotten Rian's message.

 _You like helping people get their lives back, don't you?_ she had written. _I know you try to act tough, but you're a good person. I'll get it done, no charge._ Rian had had to close the message quickly and press her lips together to keep the others from seeing her smile. It seemed like Kixi was the soft-hearted one here, not her.

Danya was waiting where Rian had told her to, holding one of Tobie's hands in hers. The boy had a fistful of something red and sticky in the other one, and it was smeared all around his mouth. Rian couldn't help but grin at the sight of him. Corso and Lomning stopped a short distance away while Rian slipped into the blind spot with Danya.

"This will get you wherever you want to go," she told her, handing over the credstick and a data chip containing hers and Kixi's contact information. "And give this woman a call once you've decided. She's going to set you up with a job and a place to stay. You can let me know where you are if you'd like, or you can stay hidden. Kixi will also keep you posted if there's any new information about your husband, and get him in touch with you if he ever gets released."

Danya tucked the chips away and turned to hug Rian hard with her free arm. "Thank you so much," she murmured into her ear. "You have no idea how much this means to us."

Rian returned the hug, embarrassed. "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you two will be safe. Good luck." She ruffled Tobie's hair and the boy gave her a shy smile, then she nodded to Danya and turned away to rejoin Corso and Lomning.

"Everything taken care of?" the Jedi asked, folding his hands behind his back as he fell into step with her.

"Kixi will handle it from here," Rian said, shoving her hands in her pockets. "They'll be all right."

"Thanks, Captain," Corso said and she arched an eyebrow at him in question. "For helping them. You didn't have to."

She shrugged. "It got Tavus to cooperate. And now I've fulfilled my obligations to Garza, and am free and clear." She made a face when her wrist comm beeped. "Well, almost." She tapped her earpiece to turn it on. "What is it?"

"General Garza wants to see you," Viggota said. There was an odd note in his voice. "Come to her office, just you."

"Everything all right?" she asked, shoulders tensing.

"Yeah, but some weird stuff has happened. I can't tell you over the comms, though. Come meet us here and I'll fill you in." He signed off before she could reply and she looked down at her wrist suspiciously.

"What's going on?" Corso asked.

"Garza wants to see me. I assumed she would, since I still have her credstick, but Vig says something else is going on. I'll call you guys when I'm done there and meet up with you somewhere."

"You'll be all right?" Lomning asked, studying her closely.

"I should be. Vig didn't sound worried."

"If you're sure," Corso said, and she shrugged.

"She hasn't got anything else to hold over me," she said. "I should be fine."

*****

Garza's droid let her in to the office and all the occupants turned to watch her as she entered. Vig and Jorgan were there, expressions unreadable. Jorgan was scowling, but that was normal. He was also shooting dark glances at the last man in the room, and Rian turned to look at him. He was tall and thin, but she could tell he had some muscle under his uniform. He wore his short dark hair swept back from his forehead and his blue eyes were piercing. A cybernetic enhancement was set into his cheek beside his left ear. He had a discreet Strategic Intelligence Service badge on his jacket and Rian winced internally. She didn't know what he was doing here, but it probably wasn't anything good. If the droid hadn't already closed the door behind her she would have considered making a run for it.

"Captain," Garza said from her position behind her desk, "This is Agent Pelton. He will be in charge of interrogating Tavus."

"Good work on that, by the way," the agent said, stepping forward to offer his hand. Rian shook it quickly and stepped back. "I've gotten the preliminary report on the operation, and you all performed admirably. The Republic owes you its gratitude."

She shrugged. "That and a handful of credits will buy you a drink."

Pelton narrowed his eyes at her and Garza quickly cleared her throat. "In thanks for your assistance, your record has been cleared. You won't have to worry about that arrest warrant any longer."

"Thanks," Rian said, tossing Garza's credstick onto her desk and then leaning against one of the chairs in front of it. She didn't want to show how pleased she was, lest the woman think she could be bought so easily. It would make her job easier to have that warrant gone, but she'd managed well enough. "What's going on here?"

The agent folded his hands behind his back. "You showed intelligence and took the initiative in choosing cover identities and getting them implemented. It was expertly done - not even our best agents can find a crack in them."

Rian shrugged. "It wasn't my work. And she won't work for you, so don't even bother asking."

Pelton chuckled. "We weren't going to ask her. I doubt she has the personality to fit in to our organization anyways."

She narrowed her eyes at him. " _I_ won't work for you either."

"I didn't imagine you would." He paced a few steps across the office and Jorgan's eyes followed him intently. "General Garza realized that she wouldn't be able to keep Havoc Squad's defection a secret any longer and notified me once she had the news that you had managed to retrieve Tavus. It's only a matter of time before it becomes public knowledge. Havoc Squad should be allowed to fade away quietly."

"What about them?" she asked belligerently, jerking her chin towards Viggota and Jorgan. "They didn't do anything wrong, and got your blasted traitor back to boot. You think you haven't already punished Jorgan enough for a defection he had nothing to do with?" Jorgan looked surprised to hear her defending him and Viggota had a small smile on his face.

"On the contrary," Pelton said calmly. "They performed admirably, and should be rewarded. However, your operation showed us that sometimes working outside the bounds of the military can produce incredible results. We would like to keep these men in this role."

"So they're becoming SIS agents?" she asked doubtfully. "No offense, but they're not really spy material."

Viggota smothered a laugh and Pelton and Garza both sent him quelling looks. "That's not what we want them for," the agent said. "The identities that your slicer crafted are perfect for our needs, so they will stand. We will call on them as needed but otherwise they will be... independent contractors."

Rian felt her jaw drop open. No wonder Jorgan was looking so angry. "You're discharging them? You're not even giving them a choice in this?"

"It isn't a discharge, precisely," Garza said, watching as Pelton came to a halt by the windows and folded his arms across his chest. "Agent Pelton was impressed at what a small team can do without the restrictions of Military or Intelligence constraints. He'd like for you to all keep working together."

"Oh no," she said, holding her hands out and taking a step back. "I don't work for you any more. We had a deal."

"I'm not asking you to," Pelton interjected. "None of you will be working for me. You will be contacted periodically with jobs, but you will be on your own. You have the contacts necessary to do the work, and you've proven that you can work with these men. You already accept jobs from a variety of sources. We will just be another one."

"And if I don't like the job you're offering?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "Just how 'independent' are you going to allow us to be?"

"Obviously, we'd like it if you accepted our jobs without hesitation, and we will naturally pay you well for your time if you do, but the final decision will rest with you and your team."

She looked over at Viggota and Jorgan. The Cathar still looked furious, but Viggota seemed interested. "Can we talk it over before we make our decision?" she asked.

Pelton nodded, gesturing to the door. "Of course. There is an empty conference room at the end of the hall if you'd like to use that."

Rian spun on her heel and stalked out of the office. She could hear the two soldiers following her and led the way to the central rotunda instead of the conference room.

"What are we doing out here?" Viggota asked.

"You think that conference room isn't bugged?" she replied, shoving her hands in her pockets. There were enough people here to make the cavernous space echo with a constant susurrus of noise. No recording equipment could pick their conversation out of it. She sighed, shaking her head. "What a mess."

"It's not all bad," Viggota said and Jorgan's scowl deepened. Viggota held up a hand quickly to forestall any comments. "I know what it looks like, Jorgan, but think about it. They've already thrown you to the wolves once. Wouldn't you rather be out from under their thumb?"

The Cathar growled, showing sharp teeth, and pulled himself back together with visible effort. "Sir, I've spent a good chunk of my life in uniform. I'm not sure I want to give up on it now."

"I'm not sure that it's giving up," Viggota said. Rian stood quietly, letting the big trooper do the talking. She thought that Pelton's idea was a good one, and couldn't deny that she kind of liked the idea of this team sticking together. She quickly quashed that thought, though. She couldn't get attached. No one ever stuck around, not for good. "Pelton's right. We did good work out there today. Personally, I liked having the freedom to plan my own op and make decisions that I was comfortable with. I've had to follow orders I haven't agreed with before and I'm sure you have too. Wouldn't it be better to be able to make that decision yourself?"

Jorgan shifted uncomfortably, looking torn. "I accepted that when I signed on."

"Forget about the past, Jorgan," Viggota said, reaching out and clapping a hand on his shoulder. "I've been honoured to fight alongside you. You're a good man, and an excellent fighter. If you don't want to do this, I won't hold it against you, but I want to make sure it's your decision, and you're not just staying out of habit or a sense of obligation."

The Cathar sighed heavily. "I originally signed on to fight Imperials. Anything else I did was career dressing. I may not always be happy dealing with military politics or running things from the Command Centre instead of being in the field, but it's part of wearing the uniform. I've given eleven years of my life to the military, and my loyalty is to the Republic." He slanted a glance at Rian. "How do I know that I won't have to compromise that if I decide to do this?"

"I don't have any love for the Empire, Jorgan," she said. "The Republic doesn't always get things right, though. I don't take jobs that I don't agree with, and my crew always has a say in that as well."

Viggota turned to her curiously. "What about you? I know you were forced into this in the first place, but we haven't asked if you even want to keep working with us."

She shrugged, keeping her expression calm. "You're good guys to have around, most of the time. Couldn't we try it out, see how it works?" Inside, she was wondering at her words. She had been lonely, it was true, but she had Corso with her now, and she was going to keep working on Lomning. She liked having those two around. Did she really need the soldiers in her crew? Viggota was a good guy, but she still wasn't sure what to think of Jorgan. Maybe if she could get him to unbend from his rigid adherence to his duty he'd thaw out a bit.

"She's got a point," Viggota said, turning back to Jorgan. "What about agreeing to it on a provisional basis? Try it out for a couple of months and see how it goes? We seem to be holding all the cards right now. Pelton wants us for this special team of his. Can't we ask for a few concessions in return?"

Jorgan made a thoughtful noise, tapping his fingers on the hilt of the blaster pistol at his waist. "I suppose that's a possibility." He looked over at Rian again. "You did well on this op. I wouldn't mind working with you again."

Rian blinked at him in surprise and then gave him a tentative smile. "Thanks, Jorgan."

He shrugged, embarrassed, and turned his attention back to Viggota. "Fine. We can try this. But they need to give us our jobs back if we decide it isn't working."

"Agreed," Viggota said. "Let's go give them our list of demands."


	23. Chapter 23

"A 'trial period'?" Pelton looked thoughtful as he considered the suggestion over for a few moments and then shrugged. "I don't have any objection to that."

"And what about if we decide it's not for us?" Viggota asked, looking between Pelton and Garza.

"You'll always have a position available here," Garza said, resting her hands on the back of her chair. "There are squads other than Havoc. We will definitely be able to find a place for both of you."

Both soldiers nodded, satisfied, and Pelton turned to Rian. "And you, Captain? Are you willing to work with these men?"

"We've already discussed it," she told him. "But there's just one problem. You keep calling me 'Captain', but I seem to have misplaced my ship." Her voice was tight with anger at the thought of what Skavak might be doing with the _Event Horizon_.

Pelton smiled smugly and Rian fought the urge to punch him in the face. "I can help you with that. You might be interested to know that it's currently docked at the spaceport, in bay forty-seven."

Rian jerked upright, heart thudding in her chest. "Are you serious?"

Pelton smirked at her and spread his hands. "Would I lie to you?"

"Absolutely," she snapped, spinning on her heel and stalking towards the door.

"Captain, wait!" She stopped with her hand on the door panel and turned to look back at Pelton. The smirk was gone and he looked grudgingly impressed. "It's there, and empty, as far as we know. The man who landed it has been gone on business for the past two days. He's currently in the Undercity. If you'd like, I can ensure that his return to the ship is delayed by a day or so. There's no sense in having a team with no transport, and you can't exactly use a Republic Military ship for this."

She tilted her head at him, eyes hard. "Thank you. I think." She hit the door controls maybe a little harder than she needed to, but the door hissed open obligingly. "Pleasure doing business with you."

The sound of heavy boots following her out was a bit of a surprise. She had assumed that the two ex-soldiers would take some time to tie things up with Garza and Pelton before contacting her. She waited until she got to the rotunda before tapping her wrist communicator and calling Corso. "Meet me at the spaceport," she said. "I've got some good news, and some really bizarre news." She cut the call before Corso could do more than acknowledge her and make a confused noise, and stalked out through the massive doors onto the promenade.

Viggota lengthened his stride to catch up to her and she acknowledged him with a jerk of her head. "You have a plan?" he asked.

"Walk into docking bay forty-seven like I own the place and get my blasted ship back," she snapped, feeling her hands curl into fists. Skavak had better not have done anything to damage her!

"That's your plan?" Jorgan drawled from her other side.

"I don't see anything wrong with it," she said. "Pelton said they figure it's empty. There's nothing Skavak could have done that will keep me from taking her back."

Viggota shrugged, an amused look on his face. "Besides, I think we can handle it, if there are any problems." Jorgan hummed in agreement and they fell silent as they followed Rian through the sparse mid-afternoon crowds.

Corso and Lomning were waiting outside the entrance to the spaceport. Corso blinked at the look on Rian's face and flicked his eyes to Viggota. "What's going on?"

"My ship is in docking bay forty-seven," Rian bit out without slowing down. "We're going in there and getting her back, then getting off this blasted planet."

Corso jumped to follow her, hands curling into fists. "Skavak?"

"Somewhere in the Undercity," she said with a vicious grin. "We'll be long gone before he even knows it."

Corso laughed, lengthening his stride to walk alongside her. "Good."

She could hear Viggota explaining the circumstances of the theft of her ship to Lomning as she walked, but she didn't slow down. Ahead of her, people scrambled to get out of her way but she barely spared them a glance. She saw security take note of her but she could truly care less. Her ship was so close. She wasn't stopping now.

Docking bay 47 was down a quiet hallway, away from the worst of the crowds. The doors were sealed, the panel blinking red beside it. She slowed to a halt beside it and tapped out a command. The light stayed stubbornly red and she rubbed her hands together and got to work. She had told Corso she wasn't much good at slicing but if there was one thing she could handle, it was docking bay doors. More than one planet's spaceport security had learned that when they had thought that locked doors would keep her from launching.

It was only a few moments before the light blinked green and the doors opened. Rian whooped with glee and darted through. The _Event Horizon_ was perched in the centre of the duracrete pad and she had to blink away tears. She briefly considered hugging one of the landing struts, but while she would probably have done it if she had been alone she wasn't going to give her audience the chance to mock her for it.

"Nice ship," Jorgan drawled sardonically and Rian gave him a murderous look. She turned her back on him and crossed quickly to the hatch.

It was locked too, and Skavak had changed her codes, but she knew her ship and it was the work of moments to get it open. The sound of her boot heels on the ramp was music to her ears and she took a deep breath as she stepped inside. The scent of scorched metal, oil, fuel, and the faint ozone tang of recycled air was familiar and comforting.

She trailed her fingers along the wall panels as she climbed the steps from the hatch to the upper ring corridor. She could hear the others behind her, and the hiss of the hatch closing. She paused at the top of the stairs and closed her eyes. She was home.

"Captain?" Corso finally said from behind her, voice hushed.

"Welcome aboard the _Event Horizon_ ," she said, turning to face them. Her cheeks hurt from smiling. "I'll give you a quick tour, but we're launching within the hour." Corso's answering smile was as brilliant as the sun.

*****

A quick holocall to Darmas secured a promise to have their belongings delivered immediately. "Within half an hour," he told her, and she smiled. She liked the clothes she had bought on Garza's credits and would have been disappointed to lose them. She could hear Viggota and Jorgan explaining their changed situation to Corso and Lomning while she talked to the older man, and Corso's unhappy exclamation of surprise. She ended the call quickly and hurried to make sure everything was still all right.

"So you're sticking around?" Corso was asking, looking less than pleased.

"For a little while, at least," Viggota said. Jorgan was leaning back against the doorway of the common room, arms crossed. Lomning was standing nearby, hands clasped behind him.

"Let's lay some ground rules," Rian interjected quickly before Corso could say anything else. It looked like she was going to have to worry about how well he and Jorgan were getting along after all. "My ship, my rules. This isn't a democracy, but you're all welcome to make your opinions known, if you can keep it civil. However, if I give you an order, you follow it immediately. We can discuss it after the crisis is past. Second rule - no brawling on the ship. If you can't get along, you can wait to fight it out until you're dirt-side. Third - we'll discuss jobs before we accept them. If anyone has serious objections, voice them. We can't read minds, so you'll need to speak up if there's a problem." She pinned each of the men with a look, waiting for them to nod before continuing.

"But we do need to take jobs to stay flying. Running a ship costs money, and we'll need supplies - fuel, food, weapons. If you don't like the jobs I'm finding, you're welcome to do some of the leg work to put your own suggestions on the table and we'll talk them over. And as for pay, well, we'll discuss that, but you all deserve to get a wage for the work you'll be doing." She pointed at Corso. "You're second-in-command, as promised. Vig and Jorgan, you're in charge of weapons and security. You two can sort out who's the boss. Lomning..." she paused, tilting her head to look at the Jedi curiously. "You actually interested in joining us?"

He spread his hands. "I may not be able to stay forever, but I would like to for the moment, if you will have me. I do not have any current commitments with the Order."

She smiled, reaching over to squeeze his shoulder. "We'd be glad to have you, and you're welcome back any time. You're in charge of the health of everyone on this boat - physical and mental. You can also have the galley if you want it. I've no objections whatsoever to eating more of your cooking!"

Lomning laughed and bowed. "I am honoured by your trust and respect."

Rian hooked her thumbs in her belt and surveyed her new crew. It felt good, thinking of them that way. "More rules to come as we sort them out. Any questions?" Jorgan looked like he had a few things he wanted to say but he held his tongue, so she waved for them to follow her. "Okay, let's get to the tour. It's going to be a quick one. You can get to know the place better once we're off-world."

She waved a hand around the common room, the largest open space in the ship aside from the cargo holds. Comfortable chairs and couches were bolted against the walls and there were low tables tucked into convenient spaces beside them. There was a holoviewer in the centre of the space and a small cabinet that housed games, books, and videos. A dining table with a half-dozen chairs was tucked into the corner near the kitchen door in the far wall. "Common space. That's the kitchen," she said, pointing. "I've got a droid... somewhere," she peered around as if it might be hiding in a corner somewhere. "Or I should, if Skavak hasn't gotten rid of it. It's called Seetoo, and it will likely handle the bulk of the cleaning but please try to tidy up after yourselves, especially in the common areas!"

She stepped out into the main corridor that circled the ship. "Cargo holds are that way," she said, gesturing to the left. "I'll have a look at them once we're in the air to see what Skavak's done with my cargo." She turned to the right, leading the others along the curving hallway. "Medbay," she said, gesturing to a door that stood open to the left. The room took up the entire inner diameter of the ship and had three diagnostic beds and rows of locked cabinets and shelves. "It probably needs a restock, but we'll worry about that once we're clear and can take the time to do inventory."

Across from the medbay, a hallway led off to the front of the ship. "Bridge - I'll save that for last." The next door on the right was her quarters and she made a face at the state of the room that was visible through the open door. Skavak had only had her ship for a week - how much laundry could a man generate in that span of time? And where was her C2 unit? It shouldn't have let it get this bad. "This is mine," she said, wrinkling her nose. "Or rather, it will be again, once I get it cleaned out. Crew quarters are this way," she said, gesturing further down the hall. "There are two sets of bunks, and a shared 'fresher. There's another set of crew quarters downstairs, and another 'fresher. I'll let you guys sort out your own living arrangements. There's another cargo hold downstairs, the weapons and equipment locker, engine room, and laundry facilities. There's a room that can be used as a gym or a sparring space - I've got mats down in there right now." She turned to look at her crew. "Questions?"

"You've hit the high points," Corso said, shaking his head. "We'll learn the rest soon enough, I guess."

"Good," she said before the others could say anything. "Get your armour off and stowed, then meet me on the bridge. I'm going to run the pre-launch checks and get our clearance. Darmas' delivery should be here soon. Holler when it gets here, but _don't_ open the hatch without my say-so."

Everyone nodded their understanding and Rian turned and strode off. She saw the vaguely bemused looks that Viggota and Jorgan exchanged. They had never really seen her as a ship's captain before, she realized. They only knew her as a scoundrel and a gunslinger. They had never seen her take charge of a situation quite like this.

She let out a slow breath as she stepped onto the bridge. It was dim and quiet, with most of the controls dormant. A few lights blinked on the panels here and there, but her ship was sleeping, ready to wake under her hands. She slipped into the Captain's chair and wrapped her hands around the familiar curve of the control yoke. This was what she had needed, and she felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She let herself savour the moment for a handful of heartbeats before she started cycling through the power-up routine.

The _Event Horizon_ came alive under her hands, and everything was looking good. Skavak might have been a thief, and had the personal habits of a sand rat, but he had taken good care of her ship. She felt the vibrations through her boots and her seat as the engines started to spin up and the consoles lit up around her.

"Everything okay?" Corso's voice came from behind her. She swivelled her chair to wave him onto the bridge and pointed to the navigator's chair behind and a little to the right of her. He had stripped out of his armour but still had his blaster pistol strapped to his hip.

"So far, so good," she said, eyes returning to her readouts.

"Lomning's keeping an eye out for the delivery," he said. "Viggota and Jorgan are going to take the rooms downstairs and Lomning and I will share the one up here." He grimaced slightly. "I've never shared space with a Jedi before. I hope he doesn't hate me or anything."

She chuckled, running a scan on the hyperdrive and smiling when the readouts blinked green. "I'm not sure he's capable of hating. And I bet he'll let you know if there's ever a problem."

"I imagine so," Corso said, leaning back in the chair and rubbing his hands over the arms. "This is a good ship, Captain."

"Glad you think so, Riggs," she said, flashing a smile over her shoulder at him. "It means a lot to me to hear that from you."

The clomp of heavy boots on the durasteel decking announced the arrival of Viggota and Jorgan. They were still wearing their armoured boots but had removed everything else. Like Corso, they still carried their pistols but had left their assault cannons with the rest of their gear.

"Find a chair," she told them, waving to the two gunner's seats at the front of the bridge by the wide windows. The _Event Horizon_ could be flown by a single pilot, but there were still five chairs on the bridge to help split up the duties when possible. With Viggota and Jorgan acting as proper gunners and Corso to help with the piloting, she would be able to take the faster - though generally riskier - routes.

She was just finishing her checks when Lomning's voice came through her earpiece. "Captain, I have a man requesting access. He says he has come from Darmas."

"I'll be right there," she told the Jedi, putting the ship into idle and slipping out of her chair. "Be right back. Don't touch anything!" She scampered down the hallway to the ring corridor and jogged around the curve to the hatch.

Lomning was peering at the screen that was connected to the external cameras. A skinny, green-skinned Rodian waited outside, dressed as a courier. Rian recognized the bags on the skid behind him and reached for the hatch controls. "Keep your eyes peeled, just in case," she told Lomning as the ramp started to descend. She checked her blasters and trotted down the stairs.

"You're Rian?" he called up to her as she strode down the ramp. His Basic was good, but heavily accented.

"That's me. Darmas sent you?" She paused at the bottom on the ramp, hands on her hips. His huge, dark eyes followed the movement and he swallowed at the sight of the blasters sitting there.

"He did. Ah... no charge on the delivery," he said, waving a hand at the skid behind him.

She grinned, knowing the kid had probably been thinking he could fleece her out of a few credits even though her arrangement with Darmas hadn't included a delivery charge. "Good. Up here," she said, waving at the ramp behind her. "Just dump everything inside the door and we'll handle it from there." She turned and strode up the ramp without waiting to see if he was following. "Watch him," she told Lomning. "We'll get everything stowed once we've broken orbit. And you might as well tip him," she added, fishing a few credits out of her pocket and passing them over.

"Understood, Captain," he murmured with a smile and she headed back to the bridge.

Corso was peering at the controls on his console when she stepped through the doorway. His hands hovered over them, memorizing their positions, but he wasn't touching. Viggota and Jorgan were having a quiet conversation in the gunner's seats but they broke off when they heard her approach. She slipped back into her seat and tapped the comm button.

"Docking bay forty-seven to Control. Requesting permission to launch."

"Four-seven, this is Control," the voice that crackled over the speakers was gravelly with age. "Leaving early? You're paid up 'til the end of the week."

She had to bite back a laugh. This would be too perfect. "Keep it open for me," she told him. "I'm making a quick run but should be back. If not, you can keep the rest of the fee."

"You bet we will," the man replied with a laugh. "You're clear to launch. Trajectory is being sent to you now. Please respect your launch window, and have a safe trip."

"Thanks, Control," she said, watching the data flicker onto her screens. "Got it. We're just about ready to go." She thumbed the comm off and laughed. "I need to do something quick before we launch. Be right back."

She hurried down the hall and into her quarters to find one of her spare holos. She wasn't going to call Skavak and alert him to the fact that she had retaken her ship but she could definitely leave a message for him in the empty docking bay.

"I'd thank you for taking such good care of my ship, but you left my quarters looking like a Jawa's been squatting in them. You're disgusting, Skavak. You'd better hope I never see you again," she told him. "Have fun being stuck on Coruscant!"

Darmas' delivery man had finished unloading the bags and was directing the skid back through the doors. The back hatch was still open so she hopped down to leave the holo right by the doors where Skavak couldn't help but see it. Lomning was watching her curiously when she came back up the ramp into the ship. "Message for Skavak," she told him with a grin. "He's paid up the bay until the end of the week, so no one else will be landing here."

The Jedi chuckled, pushing the last bag into a neat pile. "I may not approve of the emotion behind it, but I understand why you are doing it." He watched Rian punch the sequence to close and lock the ramp and the hatch. "Where should I be for the launch?"

"You're welcome to join us on the bridge," she told him. "There's enough chairs."

"Thank you," he said, falling into step with her. "I'm glad of the opportunity you have given me."

"I'm glad you decided to join us. You're a good guy, Lomning." He smiled at her and gestured for her to go first when they reached the entrance to the bridge. She waved him into the last seat opposite Corso and slipped into her own.

The indicator lights were glowing green across the board and her launch window was about to open. She wrapped her hands around the control yoke and felt the vibration of the engines through her fingers. The second the countdown hit zero she revved the engines and lifted the _Event Horizon_ off the pad.

Corso whooped with glee as they gained altitude and Viggota and Jorgan leaned forward to watch the skyscrapers slide past in the windows. Launch Control had given her a very precise path to follow through the densely populated skies. Many captains would have let the ship's autopilot follow it but it had been too long since she had flown. She arced the ship up into the sky on a smooth, perfect curve. The smoggy air rushed past her windows, the sky darkening as they rose, until she burst through the last shreds of atmosphere and soared into the blackness of space.


End file.
